Fifteen persons have been rescued from a sinking commercial vessel off the coast of Somalia, the Bahrain-based 5th Fleet said Wednesday.
Replenishment oiler USNS Patuxent was operating in the Gulf of Aden when it was notified that the Falcon Line, a general cargo ship registered in Gabon, was taking on water.
5th Fleet in a statement said, “Patuxent proceeded at maximum speed to rescue the Falcon Line crew before the ship sank”
The Patuxent team shielded the Falcon Line crew from heavy winds and high seas so they could board lifeboats.
The Navy said it offered the rescued crew food, water and a medical screening.
U.S’ 5th Fleet is coordinating with the owner of Falcon Line and other authorities to determine where to disembark the crew members, the Navy said.
According to commercial ship tracking monitors, the 3,200-ton Falcon Line was sailing from the Yemeni port of al Mukalla to Bosaso in Somalia when it went adrift.