The U.S. Military Sealift Command issued the following news release concerning the USNS Kanawha's assistance in a rescue of 16 crew members from a disabled ship in the Arabian Sea. The vessel is crewed by members of the SIU Government Services Division. The release also is available on MSC's web site HERE.
MSC ship rescues merchant crew in Arabian Sea
Military Sealift Command fleet replenishment oiler USNS Kanawha helped rescue 16 crew members from a disabled North Korean-flagged merchant ship in the Arabian Sea June 25.
Kanawha and French warship Jai Laxmai at 6:26 p.m. local time Monday. The ship, which was in danger of sinking, had a disabled diesel engine and was anchored by a weak mooring line in unstable sea conditions, with 10-foot waves and 27-knot winds. Jai Laxmai also reported that there was no food or water aboard and that the ship was unable to deploy its lifeboats to evacuate the crew.
The U.S. 5th Fleet's multinational Combined Task Force 150, responsible for maritime security in the region, and CTF 53, responsible for 5th Fleet's logistics operations, directed Dupleix and Kanawha to sail to the distressed ship and rescue its 16-person crew, consisting of 13 Indians, two Burmese and one Sri Lankan.
"We were steaming toward the Suez Canal when the rescue tasking was received," said Kanawha's civil service master Capt. David Gommo. "We were requested to provide assistance to Dupleix, and we steamed 35 miles at top speed to reach the scene."
Kanawha and Dupleix launched their rigid-hull, inflatable boats, or RHIBs, at approximately 9:35 p.m., three quarters of a mile from where the Jai Laxmai was helplessly floating in the turbulent sea.
"This was extreme boating in heavy seas," said Kanawha's chief mate Will McDermott, who manned the RHIB along with others assigned to the ship. Kanawha made two trips to Jai Laxmai, evacuating six mariners at a time to Dupleix. Dupleix's RHIB retrieved the other four.
"Once on board Dupleix, all 16 rescued crew members were found to be in good health and were subsequently transferred ashore in Salalah, Oman," said Gommo.
"The quick and brave actions of Kanawha's crew represent the finest traditions of mariners helping other mariners in need," said U.S. Navy Capt. Glen Sears, commander of Sealift Logistics Command Central and CTF 53.
Kanawha has been supporting U.S. Navy and coalition ships operating in the Middle East since March 20. The ship, with 90 civil service mariners, deployed from the United States in February.
MSC operates approximately 110 noncombatant, civilian-crewed ships that replenish U.S. Navy ships, chart ocean bottoms, conduct undersea surveillance, strategically preposition combat cargo at sea around the world and move military cargo and supplies used by deployed U.S. forces and coalition partners.
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