ARLINGTON, Va. — Guided-missile destroyer USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG 81) and its Miami-based embarked Coast Guard Advanced Interdiction Team rendered medical assistance to Panamanian-flagged, bulk carrier M/V Belde, Aug. 20, approximately 110 miles north of Socotra Island, Yemen.
At approximately 1:10 p.m. local time, Winston S. Churchill responded to a distress call following a cargo-handling accident aboard motor vessel Belde.
“There are a multitude of hazards in the maritime domain. As such, we are always ready to assist,” said Cmdr. Christopher D. Stone, Churchill commanding officer. “Our sympathies go out to those affected by this tragic incident. We, as partners in the maritime commons, are always ready and willing to help and are glad that we were in the right place at the right time to lend a hand.”
One Belde crew member was killed in the accident and another required advanced medical care for injuries sustained.
Winston S. Churchill evacuated the injured crew member by an SH-60B helicopter attached to Helicopter Squadron Light 42, Detachment 8, to an Oman medical facility for treatment while a Coast Guard EMT provided basic life support to the patient during the flight.
No further assistance was required.
Stone added that he was proud of his crew for successfully completing a rescue mission in “incredibly complex” conditions.
“We’re very proud of our LEDET aboard the Winston S. Churchill,” said Cmdr. Robert Landolfi, Tactical Law Enforcement Team South’s commanding officer. “The Coast Guard‘s strong partnership with the U.S. Navy allows us to globally respond to such dangers at sea and save lives.”
Winston S. Churchill is assigned to Commander, Task Force 150, as part of Combined Maritime Forces, conducting counter-terrorism and maritime security operations in the Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Oman, Arabian Sea, Red Sea and Indian Ocean.
AITs are assigned to the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet to augment US and Naval Assets in supporting counter-terrorism and maritime security operations in the Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Oman, Arabian Sea, Red Sea and Indian Ocean.
