Merchant vessel’s crew helps rescue 5 fishermen near Chuuk
The crew of the merchant vessel Hoegh Brasilia helped to rescue on Friday five mariners, missing since Tuesday, near Houk Island, Chuuk.
Coast Guard, Air Force and Federated States of Micronesia responders assisted in the safe return of the five men who had gone fishing on a 23-foot skiff.
Cmdr. Kristen Hahn, search and rescue mission coordinator for Joint Rescue Coordination Center Honolulu credited the mariners for having a float plan and communicating that plan with their family, saying it “directly contributed to their rescue.”
She said it was also through coordination with multiple response agencies that “we were able to save five members of our community and bring them back home to their families.”
After Joint Rescue Sub-Center Guam got notification at 7:15 p.m. Thursday that the skiff was overdue, the watchstanders issued a broadcast to mariners.
The Coast Guard deployed an HC-130 Hercules plane from Air Station Barbers Point and diverted the Cutter Myrtle Hazard.
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The watchstanders also asked for volunteer commercial vessels in the area to assist in the search.
On Friday, an Andersen Air Force Base on Guam sent out a KC-135 Stratotanker crew, which found the mariners 50 miles southwest of the Polusuk Atoll.
The plane stayed on scene until the Coast Guard C-130 crew arrived and deployed an SAR kit with food, water and handheld radios.
The Bracilia arrived shortly thereafter and recovered all the crewmen, and sub-center directed the vessel to proceed to Houk Island, and remain off-shore overnight. The Cutter Myrtle Hazard escorted the skiff back to the island. the next morning.
