Oil tanker rescues 81-year-old sailor from stricken yacht

The crew of a local AMVER (automated mutual-assistance vessel rescue) vessel helped rescue an 81-year-old sailor from his disabled 36ft sailing vessel approximately 400 miles south east of Long Island, New York.

The US Coast Guard received a report at around 4:52am on Tuesday, informing them that the 36ft, German-flagged sailing vessel, Katharina, was disabled due to a broken mast.

Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircraft crew were launched immediately. Once they were on scene, the crew established communication with Katharina, and queried all AMVER vessels in the area.

Upon making contact with multiple AMVER vessels, the crew of the Mare Picenum, an 898ft Italian flagged oil tanker, less than 25 miles away, accepted the request, and diverted to assist.

At 12:54pm, The Mare Picenum crew rescued the sailor, who was alone and had no medical concerns or injuries.

“Seafarers are force multipliers in any search and rescue case,” says Benjamin Strong, AMVER director for the Coast Guard. “The heroic efforts to rescue the German yachtsman are in keeping with the highest tradition of mariners helping mariners.

“The actions taken by the crew of Mare Picenum reinforce the relevance and importance of the Coast Guard AMVER system, and the role it plats in global search and rescue.”

The AMVER system, sponsored by the US Coast Guard, is a computer-based, voluntary global ship reporting system used worldwide by search and rescue authorities to arrange for assistance to persons in distress at sea. On any given day there are over 7,000 ships available to carry out search and rescue services.