Coalition Warship Rescues Merchant Vessel
Navy News Service
October 21, 2004
GULF OF ADEN - French frigate Surcouf (FS 711) rescued the crew of a Panamanian flagged merchant vessel that ran aground onto a reef off the coast of Yemen Oct. 14.
Deployed since Sept. 26 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, Surcouf was operating in the southern Red Sea when it received a distress signal from MV Sara 2.
Sara 2, with its 16 crew members, first broadcast a "mayday" message Oct. 13 at approximately 11 p.m. local time. After Surcouf made radio contact with the merchant vessel, the French frigate's Panther helicopter took off and arrived on the scene, but the crew of Sara 2 at first declined to evacuate, remaining aboard to repair the hole in the bow and the propulsion system. MV Sara 2 requested that Surcouf remain in the area.
Before noon the following day, Sara 2 transmitted another "mayday" and asked FS Surcouf to evacuate the crew. The Surcouf sent its helicopter again to evacuate the crew. The vessel's captain at first did not want to leave his ship, but the entire crew were eventually lifted off by Surcouf's helicopter. After having been welcomed and fed aboard, the crew of Sara 2 disembarked at Hodeidah, Yemen, onto Yemeni coast guard patrol boats. After the rescue, FS Surcouf resumed its mission in the Gulf of Aden.
FS Surcouf is part of the coalition Task Force (TF) 150, a multinational force which comprises a key element of the Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/Commander, U.S. 5th Fleet's contribution to the campaign against international terrorism and is conducting Expanded Maritime Interception Operations (EMIO) in the Horn of Africa region.
EMIO is conducted in international waters throughout the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility. These operations are aimed at interrupting the flow of personnel and material that may support international terrorist organizations.
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