Three fishermen wait to be rescued after being located by a P8-A Poseidon belonging to the “Fighting Tigers” of Patrol Squadron (VP) 8. U.S. Navy Photo
The U.S. Navy on Tuesday assisted in the rescue three fishermen who spent eight days adrift aboard their 19-foot skiff in the South Pacific.
The fishermen were first reported missing on February 12 after they failed to return from a fishing trip near Chuuk Lagoon in the Federated States of Micronesia. According to the report, the boat carried food and water, but no safety equipment or radios.
Assets from U.S. Coast Guard Sector Guam searched for the vessel for several days before requesting assistance from the U.S. Navy, which tasked crewmembers assigned to the “Fighting Tigers” of Patrol Squadron Eight (VP-8) to conduct the search.
P-8A Poseidon
The VP-8 aircrew, using a P-8A Poseidon, the Navy’s newest maritime patrol aircraft, located the boat within just three hours and successfully dropped a UNI-PAC II Search and Rescue (SAR) kit to the survivors.
The UNI-PAC II kit is a new addition to the Navy’s maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft fleet and contains items like medical supplies, food, water, communications and signaling equipment, among other items. The kit is deployed at approximately 500 feet with a 150-yard trailing lanyard to deliver equipment as accurately as possible to survivors in the water. In this case, the deployment actually marks the first time the kit had been successfully deployed by a P-8A in real-world SAR operations.
The three survivors were picked up by a local police vessel a few hours after being located Navy aircrew.
A UNI-PAC II Search and Rescue (SAR) kit is deployed from a P8-A Poseidon aircraft assigned to the “Fighting Tigers” of Patrol Squadron (VP) 8. U.S. Navy Photo
“It was incredibly rewarding to be a part of saving lives – it’s what everyone joins the Navy to do,” said Lt. Miles Schumacher, tactical coordinator of the VP-8 aircrew. “This aircraft allows for a massive step forward in the ability of SAR units to search large areas quickly and effectively, and we were excited to have the SAR kit loaded and be able to prove its effectiveness. We successfully demonstrated the capability of the MPRA community to react quickly and effectively to operational requirements in the farthest corners of the globe. Hopefully, this is just the first of many successful rescues by P-8A Poseidon aircrews.”
China's retaliatory tariffs on the United States may cause U.S. oil exports to decline in 2025 for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic, after growth plateaued last year.
A. P. Moller-Maersk A/S, a bellwether for world trade, forecast growth in the global container market as it sees consumer demand defying an intensifying trade war.
Almost every day since the expansion of Canada’s Trans Mountain pipeline was completed in May, a tanker laden with oil sands crude shipped through the line has passed under Vancouver’s Lions Gate Bridge en route to refineries around the Pacific.
February 5, 2025
Total Views: 2159
Sign Up Now for gCaptain Daily
We’ve got your daily industry news related to the global maritime and offshore industries.
JOIN OUR CREW
Maritime and offshore news trusted by our 108,992 members delivered daily straight to your inbox.
Your Gateway to the Maritime World!
Essential news coupled with the finest maritime content sourced from across the globe.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.