Two Swedish sailors were rescued by an Amver ship after activating their Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) after their 33-foot sailboat started taking on water approximately 100 miles southwest of Bermuda on Saturday, March 8, 2014.Rescue authorities at the U.S. Coast Guard Fifth District's command center received the beacon alert, launched a search aircraft and checked the Amver system for available commercial ships to assist. The 498-foot reefer, Crown Sapphire, agreed to divert and assist the sailors. The Crown Sapphire was only nine miles away from the sailboat's last known position.
Battling staggering winds greater than 30 knots and waves of 14 feet, the captain of the Panamanian flagged ship was able to pull alongside the sailboat. "We will not be able to use our ladder because it is not safe due to weather," reported the crew of the Crown Sapphire.
The sailors were able to climb aboard the Crown Sapphire without injury and remained on board until the ship arrived in Wilmington, Del. where Customs officials assisted them.
The Crown Sapphire, managed by NYKCool, enrolled in Amver on February 17, 1998 and has earned four Amver awards for participation.
Photo credit: marinetraffic.com
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