Amver participating research ship rescues 4

It started with an Amver Surface Picture request sent to the U.S. Coast Guard by rescue authorities at MRCC Rabat on Sunday May 15, 2011 and ended with three Brits and a South African rescued by a British research vessel headed from Antarctica to the United Kingdom.

In Danger, bad weather

That was the report sent to RMRCC South Africa by the crew of the 57 foot sailing yacht Ex Africa early Saturday May 14, 2011. " South African rescue personnel made a call to MRCC Rabat about the stricken sailboat and handed over search and rescue coordination. Rescue personnel in Rabat quickly requested Amver data from the U.S. Coast Guard and began calling the stricken yacht on their satellite phone. "We  have damaged rigging, we're out of fuel and water drifting in bad weather and we are abandoning the yacht," the crew reported. 

To the rescue

Among several ships that responded to assist was the Royal Research Vessel James Clark Ross. The Ross, a long time Amver participant, headed to the distress location and assumed SAR command from the Kate Maersk which had also diverted. The four sailors were quickly hoisted aboard the Falkland Island flagged research vessel which was sailing from Port Stanley back to Portland, UK.

We're proud of the James Clark Ross and its crew. Hopefully stories like this will encourage more ships to enroll in the Amver system. Interested in learning more about the rescue professionals that work in rescue coordination centers around the world? Then check our our story about these unsung heroes.