We think the AMVER program is an amazing asset to the cruising community and all boaters, and it’s worth sharing one of their success stories.
Crew members aboard Coast Guard cutter Galveston Island transferred four Oregon-based recreational boaters and their pet cat from the cargo ship OOCL Guangzhou, approximately 12 miles south of Oahu, Sunday after their 30-foot sailing vessel experienced a rudder malfunction while journeying from Cabo San Lucas, Mexico to Oregon.
The crew of the Guangzhou, based out of Hong Kong, rescued the boaters approximately 665 miles southwest of San Diego, Friday.
The Guangzhou is a partnering Automated Mutual Assistance Vessel Rescue Program (AMVER) ship and its crew responded to the sailing vessel’s distress call and launched a small boat to render assistance. After unsuccessful efforts to repair the sailing vessel’s damage, California-based Coast Guard Search and Rescue Coordinators advised the distressed boaters to abandon ship and take refuge aboard the cargo ship.
The Guangzhou diverted course from its next scheduled port of call and rendezvoused 12 miles south of Oahu with a Coast Guard rescue crew to transfer the boaters to the Galveston Island. As a member of AMVER, the cargo ship is one of 19,000 vessels that voluntarily participates in search and rescue efforts worldwide. The contributions of the OOCL Guangzhou and her crew were instrumental to the rescue effort.
“Every 33 hours, an AMVER ship is saving a life somewhere. This case reinforces that and underscores the way we can leverage our partnership with the commercial shipping community to save lives at sea,” said Benjamin Strong, director AMVER Maritime Relations for the United States Coast Guard.
For more information about AMVER visit www.amver.com.
Courtesy of www.coastguardnews.com.
Why is it that these days when the going gets tough some people just call for help no matter where they are ? Have they never read ANYTHING about different ways to steer a boat to get back to shore or at least close enough for a tow. Did they scuttle their boat so the next sailor don’t sink after running into it in the middle of the night ??