emrgency medical services personnel treat a crewmember from the research vessel Seaprobe at Coast Guard Aviation Training Center Mobile following an airlift approximately 141 miles off the coast of Pensacola, Fla., Jan. 18, 2013. U.S. Coast Guard photo
Two U.S. Coast Guard aircrews on Friday rescued 12 crewmembers from a capsized research vessel off the coast of Pensacola, Florida in the Gulf of Mexico.
The 8th Coast Guard District received a distress call from an EPIRB from the 170-foot R/V Seaprobe approximately 141 miles south of Pensacola. The Coast Guard says that a crewmember reported they were taking on water and unable to keep up with the flooding, which eventually forced the 12 crewmembers to abandon ship in three life rafts.
The Guard Guard dispatched an aircraft from Mobile, Ala., which arrived on scene and remained there until helicopter rescue crews arrived. The Coast Guard says that an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Mobile airlifted five crewmembers while another Jayhawk crew from Clearwater, Fla., launched and hoisted the remaining seven. All crewmembers were accounted for.
“When we arrived on scene we saw the hull sticking out of the water, and about a mile away, 12 crewmembers were on three life rafts tied together; our rescue swimmer assisted five into the hoist basket,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Robert McDonald, ATC Mobile flight mechanic. “They were covered in diesel fuel and extremely cold, but every one of them was wearing a life jacket.”
The Seaprobe crewmembers were brought to ATC Mobile for medical treatment and EMS transported three with injuries to Providence Hospital in Mobile, while the remaining nine were reported as stable.
The Seaprobe was built as a supply boat in 1974 at Burton Shipyard in Port Arthur, TX.
The cause of the incident is under investigation.
gCaptain Forum Discussion: R/V Seaprobe Sinking
Sign up for gCaptain’s newsletter and never miss an update
Essential maritime and offshore news, insights, and updates delivered daily straight to your inbox
A new federal watchdog report says gaps in training, coordination and emergency planning continue to complicate the response to ship fires at U.S. ports, three years after two firefighters were...
Rauma Marine Constructions in Finland has made rapid progress on the first of two Arctic Security Cutters it is building for the U.S. Coast Guard, with almost half of the vessel's blocks already launched and construction of the second ship approaching, according to the Finnish shipbuilder's chief executive.
The United States is watching China's presence in its Arctic zone "very closely" amid concerns regarding the security of the US homeland, a senior US Arctic military official said.
Subscribe to gCaptain Daily and stay informed with the latest global maritime and offshore news
Essential news coupled with the finest maritime content sourced from across the globe.
Sign Up
Join The Club
