Coast Guard Coordinates Rescue Of 7 People After Fishing Boat Caught Fire

The Coast Guard coordinated the rescue of seven people after their 85-foot commercial fishing boat caught fire Wednesday morning, approximately 350 miles west of Monterey.

Eleventh Coast Guard District command center watchstanders received multiple emergency position-indicating radio beacon and personal location beacon alerts belonging to the fishing boat Blue Dragon around 12:20 a.m. Watchstanders coordinated the launch of a Coast Guard Air Station Sacramento C-27 Spartan aircrew at 1:30 a.m.

Using the Automated Mutual-Assistance Vessel Rescue System (AMVER), Coast Guard watchstanders issued a request for assistance and the vessel Nord Rubicon crew, located 80 miles northwest of the alert location, responded that they were willing to divert and assist the distressed mariners.

The Nord Rubicon personnel reported an estimated time of arrival of approximately 8 a.m. The C-27 aircrew arrived on scene at 3:21 a.m. and reported the Blue Dragon was on fire and survivors were aboard a life raft nearby. The aircrew reported that the survivors were signaling the aircraft using a flashlight, and in response the aircrew deployed a flare along with a self locating datum marker buoy (SLDMB).

A second Air Station Sacramento C-27 Spartan aircrew was launched at 8 a.m. The Nord Rubicon crew arrived on scene at 9:30 a.m. and retrieved the seven crewmembers from the life raft. All crewmembers were accounted for and no injuries were reported.

The Nord Rubicon is en route to San Francisco with all Blue Dragon crew members.

FMI: www.uscg.mil