HONOLULU — U.S. Coast Guard search and rescue coordinators here and Automated Mutual Assistance Vessel Rescue (AMVER) partners rescued 12 fishermen Tuesday about 260 miles northwest of Midway.
Coast Guard watchstanders at the Joint Rescue Coordination Center (JRCC) here received a distress signal about 1 a.m. Monday from the Taiwanese vessel Shun Fu Yu 86, which was rendered disabled and adrift due to a large wave crashing through its wheel house and flooding its engine room.
JRCC search and rescue coordinators immediately issued a radio broadcast asking for any AMVER vessels in the area to assist. The crew of the container ship Global Spirit responded to the call at 6 a.m.
A Coast Guard aircrew from Air Station Barbers Point launched an HC-130 Hercules aircraft crew at 4 a.m. Monday to establish communications and drop a handheld radio to the Shun Fu Yu 86.
The Global Spirit crew arrived on scene at 10 a.m. Monday, but due to rough weather, was unable to attempt the rescue; however, another AMVER vessel along with the distressed crew’s sister ship arrived at 7 p.m. to assist. ??The Shun Fu Yu 86 crew will remain aboard while its sister vessel attempts to tow the disabled vessel.
The weather conditions were reported to be 35-knot winds and very rough seas.
AMVER, sponsored by the United States Coast Guard, is a unique, computer-based, and voluntary global ship reporting system used worldwide by search and rescue authorities to arrange for assistance to persons in distress at sea. With AMVER, rescue coordinators can identify participating ships in the area of distress and divert the best-suited ship or ships to respond.
