UPDATE: Good News – Rescue of two sailors successful! RCC Norfolk coordinated with a Greek Merchant Ship, Frio Ionian, to divert. The ship and sailors are on their way to Panama and will fly home to France from there.
Coast Guard, good Samaritan vessel rescue 2 mariners more than 1,700 miles east of Bermuda
PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The Coast Guard and a good Samaritan vessel rescued two mariners Monday, approximately 1,726 miles east of Bermuda.
Watchstanders with the Fifth Coast Guard District command center received an emergency position indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) alert from the 19-foot sailing vessel Lhor One at approximately 6 p.m. Sunday.
Fifth District watchstanders alerted mariners in the area to be on the lookout for the sailors and conducted a query of vessels from Automated Mutual-Assistance Vessel Rescue (AMVER). The watchstanders also directed the launch of a Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, North Carolina HC-130 Hercules airplane crew to assist.
The airplane crew arrived on scene at 4:45 a.m. Monday and established communications with the mariners, who reported they were taking on water after a lightning strike reportedly cause a hole in their vessel. The aircrew also directed the 505-foot motor vessel Frio Ionian, an AMVER participating ship, toward the sailing vessel’s position.
The Frio Ionian crew arrived on scene at 10 a.m. and safely transferred a 20-year-old and 24-year-old male from the Lhor One to the motor vessel with no reported injuries.
“This rescue was quite a distance from land and the successful rescue of two mariners was only possible because of the crew of the Frio Ionian’s participation in the AMVER program,” said Petty Officer 1st Class Starr Franklin, a watchstander with the Fifth District command center. “To put the distance from shore in perspective, the mariners were roughly the same as if you drove from Portsmouth, Virginia to Odessa, Texas, near the Texas-New Mexico border.”
AMVER is the Coast Guard Automated Mutual-Assistance Vessel Rescue program which allows vessels to voluntarily provide position updates for the response to search and rescue around the world.
The Lhor One was sailing from Guadeloupe to France.
– USCG –
Broadcast Version For Maritime Mobile Service Network and Other Networks
SV “LHOR ONE” Distress SE of Bermuda
RCC Norfolk advised that they have received both EPIRB and PLB distress signals from this 19 foot French flagged SV approximately 967 NM SE of Bermuda.
Keep a sharp lookout, assist if possible and advise RCC Norfolk of any information.
SV “LHOR ONE” Distress SE of Bermuda
Update: RCC Norfolk advised that they have received both EPIRB and PLB signals from this 19 foot French flagged SV approximately 967 NM SE of Bermuda.
This is the updated Hydrolant
040036Z MAR 24
HYDROLANT 443/24(25).
WESTERN NORTH ATLANTIC.
DNC 01.
1. DISTRESS SIGNAL RECEIVED ON 406 MHZ FROM
19 FOOT S/V LHOR ONE, TWO PERSONS ON BOARD,
IN 26-37.70N 047-20.20W AT 032300Z MAR.
VESSELS IN VICINITY REQUESTED TO KEEP A
SHARP LOOKOUT, ASSIST IF POSSIBLE. REPORTS
TO RCC NORFOLK, PHONE: 757 398 6231,
EMAIL: RCCNORFOLK@USCG.MIL.
2. CANCEL HYDROLANT 442/24.
HYDROLANT 443/24(25).
WESTERN NORTH ATLANTIC.
DNC 01.
1. DISTRESS SIGNAL RECEIVED ON 406 MHZ FROM
19 FOOT S/V LHOR ONE, TWO PERSONS ON BOARD,
IN 26-37.70N 047-20.20W AT 032300Z MAR.
VESSELS IN VICINITY REQUESTED TO KEEP A
SHARP LOOKOUT, ASSIST IF POSSIBLE. REPORTS
TO RCC NORFOLK, PHONE: 757 398 6231,
EMAIL: RCCNORFOLK@USCG.MIL.
2. CANCEL HYDROLANT 442/24.
—————————————
032332Z MAR 24
HYDROLANT 442/24(25).
WESTERN NORTH ATLANTIC.
DNC 01.
DISTRESS SIGNAL RECEIVED ON 406 MHZ IN
26-37.70N 047-20.20W AT 032300Z MAR. VESSELS
IN VICINITY REQUESTED TO KEEP A SHARP LOOKOUT,
ASSIST IF POSSIBLE. REPORTS TO RCC NORFOLK,
PHONE: 757 398 6231, EMAIL: [RCCNORFOLK@USCG.MIL](mailto:RCCNORFOLK@USCG.MIL).
