The U.S. Coast Guard coordinated the rescue of 27 mariners on Saturday after their Venezuelan-flagged fishing vessel caught fire approximately 500 miles north-northwest of the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.At 3:51 p.m. PST, Saturday,
The U.S. Coast Guard coordinated the rescue of 27 mariners on Saturday after their Venezuelan-flagged fishing vessel caught fire approximately 500 miles north-northwest of the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.
At 3:51 p.m. PST, Saturday, Rescue Coordination Center Alameda received a notification from the Garmin Search and Rescue Command Center of an SOS distress alert from the 240-foot fishing vessel La Pena.
Using a crewmember’s satellite messaging device, Coast Guard watchstanders established communications with the crew and confirmed the vessel had caught fire and sank. All 27 mariners evacuated to the vessel’s emergency lifeboat.
The weather on scene was reported as 5-foot seas and 10-knot winds.
The crew reported they had no life jackets, food or water aboard the lifeboat. Their only means of communication was the satellite device, which had approximately 37 percent battery life remaining, or about 12 hours of use. The survivors were placed on a 90-minute communication schedule to provide position updates, answer questions and then power off the device to conserve battery.
Rescue Coordination Center Alameda issued SafetyNet and SafetyCAST broadcasts to alert nearby mariners and request assistance. There were no Coast Guard surface or air assets in the immediate vicinity.
An Automated Mutual-Assistance Vessel Rescue (AMVER)
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