A Cosco containership and a Shell-owned LNG carrier have joined forces with the US Coast Guard to help rescue a man from a disabled sailing vessel in the Caribbean Sea off Puerto Rico.
The US Coast Guard said its cutter Joseph Napier combined efforts with the CSCL Long Beach and the LNG tanker Gemmata for the rescue operation on Thursday.
A British citizen was transiting solo on New Year’s Eve aboard the sailing vessel Jade when it became disabled and adrift in seven-foot seas some 114 nautical miles southeast of Yabucoa, Puerto Rico.
Coast Guard watchstanders in Sector San Juan received a notification on Wednesday from the Hong Kong-flagged container ship CSCL Long Beach, who relayed a distress call from the Jade received via VHF marine radio digital selective calling transmission.
The Jade had a damaged rudder and not enough fuel to transit to safe harbour in the degrading sea state and weather conditions.
Watchstanders immediately diverted the cutter Joseph Napier to provide rescue assistance.
The Singapore-flagged LNG tanker Gemmata also diverted to the scene and served as a communications platform with the vessel Jade while the cutter Joseph Napier completed a 150 nautical mile transit.
Once on scene, the Joseph Napier launched the cutter’s small boat that came alongside the Jade and the boat crew safely embarked the man from the disabled sailing vessel, the Coast Guard said.
He reportedly did not sustain injuries nor required medical assistance.