Friday, September 16, 2011

Amver ship assists in rescue of French sailors

The Amver participating tanker, Unique Sunshine, and an oil rig tender, Maersk Chancellor, were called upon to assist in the rescue of four sailors from a sailboat 1,400 miles east-northeasr of Provincetown, Mass. on Thursday September 8, 2011.

Rescue personnel received a distress alert from the 36 foot sailboat Roule Ta Bille after it capsized in rough weather. The sailors had a 406 MHz Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon as well as a SPOT emergency alert beacon.

United States Coast Guard rescue personnel from the First District Command Center worked closely with rescue authorities from Canadian Joint Rescue Coordination Center Halifax to divert a Canadian C-130 aircraft and the two commercial ships.

The Unique Sunshine arrived on scene first and provided communications and provided a lee to the sailboat until the Maersk Chancellor could arrive and safely embark the four yachtsmen. The rescue was complicated by 45 knot winds and 30 foot waves.

The Maersk Chancellor was able to safely embark the four sailors and brought them to port in Newfoundland. While the Maersk Chancellor isn't enrolled in Amver (yet!) the Unique Sunshine is not only enrolled in Amver but has been called on to assist in another case.

Oh, and to the crew of the Maersk Chancellor- Bravo Zulu! Now sign up for Amver here (please)!

Photo credit: crew of the Maersk Chancellor 


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