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US Coast Guard awards ‘Certificate of Merit’ to merchant vessel
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Posted on Oct 12 2021
Capt. Nicholas Simmons, commander with the U.S Coast Guard Sector Guam, presented Capt. Robert E. Foley and the crew of the M/V APL Saipan with a Certificate of Merit for helping rescue three mariners last May. (Contributed Photo)
The U.S. Coast Guard Sector Guam recently presented a Certificate of Merit to a merchant vessel stationed off the coast of Saipan for helping rescue three mariners back in May.
Last Thursday, Capt. Nicholas Simmons, commander of the U.S Coast Guard Sector Guam, presented Capt. Robert E. Foley and the crew of the M/V APL Saipan with a Certificate of Merit for their help in rescuing three mariners last May.
The APL Saipan was en route from Japan to Saipan when they received a report that a fishing vessel, K-Fisher 3, was taking on water 90 nautical-miles north of Saipan. The APL Saipan’s crew immediately diverted course to the K-Fisher 3’s last known location and found the mostly submerged vessel with three mariners clinging to the vessel’s bow. The APL Saipan’s crew quickly coordinated a rescue plan and recovered the three mariners before transporting them back to Saipan.
According to Saipan Tribune archives, last May 26, the Department of Public Safety Boating Safety Section, U.S. Coast Guard Sector Guam, and container ship APL Saipan joined forces in the search and rescue of the three fishermen. The three men were rescued in the waters 5 miles south of the northern island Sarigan.
When the fishermen were first found, they were holding on to the portion of their capsized boat that was still peeking above the water.
According to a DPS news release, the department received a call at 4:30am that day regarding a distressed vessel about 5 miles south of the island of Sarigan and dispatched a patrol boat out of Smiling Cove soon after.
At about 9:29am the officers noticed a vessel’s bow above the water with three fishermen holding on to the vessel, helped the three men onto their boat, and transported them to a passing container ship, APL Saipan, for medical attention.
DPS reported that all three fishermen said they were okay and did not have any injuries.
