U.S. Coast Guard Coordinates Rescue Of 27 Crew From Burning Vessel Off Galapagos

The U.S. Coast Guard helped rescue 27 crew members after an Ecuadorian-flagged fishing vessel caught fire about 527 miles southwest of the Galapagos Islands.

The crew of the vessel Drennec left it and boarded a life raft after the fire. Two vessels responded to the Coast Guard’s request for help, and all 27 crew members were safely picked up.

The fishing vessel Ricky A recovered the crew from the life raft, while the container ship Oluf Maersk also diverted to the area and stayed nearby to assist.

All 27 crew members were safely aboard the Ricky A by 10:15 a.m. on Aug. 21. The vessel will take them to Guayaquil, Ecuador.

Coast Guard Receives Distress Alerts

At about 8 p.m. on Aug. 20, Coast Guard Southwest District watchstanders received several distress alerts from the Drennec.

The alerts included an emergency beacon signal and an Iridium alert sent through a Garmin inReach device.

Coast Guard personnel contacted Garmin Response, which confirmed that the vessel was on fire and that all 27 crew members had abandoned the vessel and boarded a life raft.

The Coast Guard then used the Automated Mutual-Assistance Vessel Rescue System, or AMVER, to seek help from nearby vessels.

The container ship Oluf Maersk and fishing vessel Ricky A responded and changed course to assist.

27 Crew Rescued Within 11 Hours

The Ricky A recovered all 27 mariners from the lifeboat. The Oluf Maersk remained at the scene to provide assistance.

By 10:15 a.m. on Aug. 21, all 27 crew members were reported safely aboard the Ricky A.

Doug Samp, the Coast Guard’s search and rescue mission coordinator, said all 27 crew members were rescued within 11 hours of the first distress alert.

He said the rescue was made possible by the crew’s emergency devices and coordination between the U.S. Coast Guard, Ecuador’s Maritime Rescue Coordination Center and the two vessels that responded.

The Coast Guard also thanked the crews of the Ricky A and Oluf Maersk for their assistance.

What Is AMVER?

AMVER is a voluntary ship-reporting system operated by the U.S. Coast Guard.

It helps search and rescue teams locate nearby commercial ships and ask them to assist when a vessel is in trouble.

Merchant ships around the world can take part in the system and help with rescue operations when they are close enough to respond.

The 27 crew members rescued from the Drennec are being taken to Guayaquil, Ecuador, aboard the Ricky A.

Reference: USCG