Adrift For Six Days

Crewmembers from the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Oak answered a distress call from a Venezuelan fishing vessel that was adrift for six days. The crew of the USCG Cutter Oak was underway in route to Saint Lucia to participate in Tradewinds 2013, when they received a distress call. In response to the call, they were able to coordinate the rescue of the damaged vessel, provide medical care and water to the four adrift fishermen, and coordinate to have the disabled vessel towed to land by the Martinique Defense Force. “I would say that we got very lucky in that part — the excellent coordination between us and the Martinique Defense Forces enabled us to locate that vessel safely, which to me drives home the spirit of Tradewinds,” said Commander Peter Niles, the commanding officer of the USCG Cutter. (Official U.S. Coast Guard photos by Ensign Donald Rudickas//Released)