September 2017
The Brotherhood of the Sea once again came to the fore July 22 near Galveston, Texas, when the SIU-crewed Overseas Texas City rescued five people from a capsized boat. No one was injured.
“We got everything ready in no time,” recalled Bosun Lonnie Porchea. “Everybody was in position and everything went smooth. Five in the water, five out of the water. It’s a good thing the mate on watch saw them in time – he saw them bailing water and knew it wouldn’t be long” (until their boat wasn’t habitable).
Pumpman Pedro Santiago stated, “The captain ordered the emergency rescue boat down, and within five minutes we had those people aboard. We do drills but this was no drill. People were trying to stay away from the sharks that were smiling at them.”
Before the U.S. Coast Guard picked up the boaters, the SIU steward department provided towels and food. The people who were rescued “couldn’t thank us enough, and the Coast Guard also thanked us,” Santiago added.
“If not for the diligence of the crew of the tanker Overseas Texas City, the outcome of today’s events may not have been as successful,” said Coast Guard Petty Officer First Class Chris Rendon. “It is incredibly important that boaters are aware of their surroundings and prepared for emergency situations.”
At press time, the agency hadn’t reported what caused the boat to capsize approximately 12 miles from shore.
In addition to Porchea and Santiago, the SIU crew on the Overseas Ship Management vessel included Bosun Jose Castillo, AB Robert Duncan, AB Allen Davis, AB Matthew Szczepaniak, OS Gamaliel Choh Zuom, OS Mohamed Gazaly, GUDE Saeed Saleh, GUDE Muafa Musad, GUDE Abdulfata Shammam, Steward/Baker Luis Santiago, Chief Cook Nilsa Manaiza and SA Carlos Bernardez Norales.
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