Four fishermen from the Great Lakes owe a debt of gratitude to the crew of the SIU-contracted American Mariner.Seafarers aboard the American Steamship Co. vessel on July 12 helped rescue three of the four from an uncertain fate after they were spotted floating in the water wearing life jackets. Their 18-foot fishing boat had sunk off the shore of Ashtabula, Ohio. The American Mariner, having departed Ashtabula after loading coal for discharge in Charlevoix, Mich., passed about four miles from shore when alert crew members including ABG Watchman Foaad Saleh caught sight of the ill-fated fishermen and their capsized craft.
After apprising the U.S. Coast Guard station in Fairport, Ohio of the situation, the American Mariner altered course and moved in to pluck the trio from Lake Erie. Once aboard the American Mariner, the rescued fishermen informed the crew that their vessel had gone down some four hours earlier and that the sinking had happened so suddenly that they did not have time to radio for help.
Their most distressing news, however was that a fourth fisherman—a male confined to a wheelchair—also had been aboard their vessel and was in the water somewhere in the vicinity. Fortunately for him, a crew from the Coast Guard station was patrolling the area. Once on the scene, they quickly rescued the fourth fisherman who had been discharged from his wheelchair and was being kept afloat by a life jacket.
The three men aboard the American Mariner later were transported to the Coast Guard vessel. All four were then transported to Coast Guard station at Ashtabula. One of the fishermen had to be placed on a backboard during the transit due to bruises and soreness incurred during the sinking of the fishing boat. The fourth rescued individual had multiple sclerosis and was mildly hypothermic. All four were examined by emergency medical services personnel and released.
Thomas S. Anderson, assistant vice president for American Steamship Co. Fleet Operations, praised the efforts of the Seafarers. In a memo to the captain of the American Mariner, he wrote in part: “I am writing to commend all of you for the rescue of the four fishermen in distress off of Ashtabula on July 12, 2003. The four men had been in the water since mid-day when your sharp lookout spotted the capsized boat…. I have seen the photos of the rescue and cannot tell you how proud I am of the job all of you did. Simply great, professional work and seamanship resulted in the rescue of these men. I don’t know how much longer they would have lasted in that Lake Erie water, but without your quick actions it may have not been much longer.”
The following SIU members were aboard the American Mariner when the rescue took place: Bosun Albert Brzezinski, AB Wheelsman Robert Timmons, AB Wheelsman Art Beauchamp, AB Wheelsman Leon Pulley, ABG Watchman Foaad Saleh, AB Watchman Donald Hutchens, Conveyorman Kenneth Guss, Gateman Mousa Quarish, QMED James Reilly, DEU Jack Povaser, DEU Mohamed Ali, DEU Brian Green, 2nd Cook Nasser Aljalham, SA Gary Lapczynski and Unlicensed Apprentice Curtis Tobey.
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