Life:
Nimitz-class nuclear powered aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) and fast combat support ship USNS Arctic (T AOE-8) rescued seven mariners adrift in a raft Dec. 23, in the central Persian Gulf.
While conducting a replenishment-at-sea with Truman, Arctic received a bridge-to-bridge radio call from the British-flagged cargo vessel MV British Courage.
British Courage was requesting assistance rescuing the stranded mariners, who were floating approximately three miles from of the Harry S. Truman.
The ships performed an emergency break away; Arctic, operated by the Navy’s Military Sealift Command, dispatched two MH-60S helicopters to the scene. Arctic put one rescue swimmer in the water who recovered the four Pakistanis and three Indian mariners.
The helicopter crews brought the mariners to Truman for medical treatment, food and water. All are currently in good condition and awaiting transfer back to the United Arab Emirates.
The mariners had been transporting cargo from Dubai when their dhow sailed into rough seas and broke its keel. When the vessel started taking on too much water to remain afloat, the mariners abandoned ship into a life raft where they remained for two days before the rescue.
Santa Claus flies an MH-60S and his elves wear white float coats. Who knew?
BZ
Good Christmas story – thanks. Merry Christmas, Lex, to you and yours. Been thinking of you today.
Merry Christmas! And thank you for the great story.
Lex … love the story and the good feeling it gives us. The US Navy may be a demanding mistress but it does wonderful things like this 12 months of the year, and makes us proud to be Americans. I wish you and Clan Lex a very happy Christmas and wonderful New Year. Please keep writing. We need you.
Marianne and Downs Matthews
P. S. And a Merry Christmas as well to all the courtly and kindly commenters who inhabit this blog. You all brighten my day every day.
Marianne Matthews
What Marianne said.
Ditto.
I knew.
Bless the Men on patrol and on station. There is always someone on watch in the US military.
Go Navy. And Merry Christmas Father Lex.
Subsunk
Lex,
I was there on the roof when that all went down. It was pretty interesting.
We went from doing a RAS before our port o’call at the Sandbox (where we are at right now). Did the Emergancy Break Away. From there the Rescue and Assistance team was called away to flight deck BDS and the medical emergancy response team was called away as well. After that the TAO called away for the survivor management team called away, to muster up on the bridge. HS-7 who is here with the CVW-3 got one of thier birds manned up and ready when HSC-22 called over the TACAIR freq that they had it. So a helo that had just finishing dropping a hoisted load, turned and went flying off in the direction of the emergancy call. They came back announcing how many suvivors they had. From there the medical response team came out in thier full flight deck garb and escorted the suvivors down the skippers ladder well all the way to sick bay. They were treated well and given some of the VIP staterooms to live in till we made port yesterday. They then walked off the ship and into the arms of the local officals. It was pretty cool and made us feel good.
First the Apendix kid, now a great rescue story.
The US Navy will end with a Nobel Peace Prince on its hands…
:):):):)