500-Foot Log Carrier Abandoned in the Pacific

The U.S. Coast Guard reports today that twenty-four sailors from the M/V Rich Forest are now safe after being rescued by the bulk carrier CS Sunshine, 440 nautical miles west of Guam.

The sailors were enroute to China with a cargo of logs when the ship’s engine room began to flood with 160 tons of water per hour.  Power was lost on board the Rich Forest, and a distress call was made at 8 a.m. local time on Sunday.

At 1:21 p.m., the crew entered life rafts and abandoned ship according to the Coast Guard report.

The CS Sunshine, a participant in the Automated Mutual Assistance Vessel Rescue System (AMVER) was alerted by Coast Guard Sector Guam of the distress call and by 4:40 p.m. all crew members were retrieved from the life rafts and were safely on board.

Coast Guard Cutter Assateague has been deployed from Guam and upon arrival at the scene today, all crew members from the Rich Forest will be transferred aboard and the CS Sunshine will continue its voyage to Japan.

The Rich Forest has not yet sunk according to the Coast Guard, however it remains a hazard to navigation.