Representatives from the U.S. Coast Guard and the Automated Mutual Assistance Vessel Rescue System (AMVER) presented an award to the crew of the ulk carrier K. Coral that rescued 19 fishermen after they abandoned their burning vessel approximately 900 miles southeast of Bermuda on June 21, 2016.
The Panamanian flagged ship notified rescue personnel in Bermuda that the first officer spotted a large cloud of black smoke approximately four miles from their position. The master of the K. Coral altered course and found a fishing vessel on fire with people in the water.
Bermuda rescue personnel notified the U.S. Coast Guard who activated the Amver system and diverted two additional ships, the Cherry Point and the Jean LD, that assisted in the search for people in the water.
“While we were hoisting the 17 people onto our ship two people on a makeshift raft got separated from the group and drifted away,” said the captain of the K. Coral. The K. Coral and Cherry Point continued searching for the two remaining survivors for six hours.
Lookouts on the K. Coral spotted the last two people and hoisted the first survivor to safety but lost sight of the second person in the darkness and heavy rain.
“The final survivor is clinging to some debris so we know he’s alive and we won’t give up!” the captain of the K. Coral reported to Coast Guard authorities.
“Search and rescue operations still going on at this time,” the captain said,
“we are having a hard time recovering the last person due to weather conditions. Wind still coming from the east but increasing to Force 5 with passing rain showers.”
Two hours later the last survivor, the master of the fishing vessel, was aboard the K. Coral. The crew of the K. Coral reported two of the survivors suffered third degree burns and were being treated in the ship’s hospital. The K. Coral is sailing towards Bermuda so a helicopter can meet the ship and evacuate the injured survivors.
Source & Image credit: USCG
