The crew of the US Coast Guard cutter Morgenthau assisted in
the rescue and safe transit of a 400-foot cargo vessel with 12 people aboard
during a multiple-day operation in the Gulf of Alaska recently.
The Coast Guard says that on Oct. 5, it received a call for
help from the master of BBC Colorado, who reported the
vessel had experienced a severe engine casualty that restricted its speed and
maneuverability. With forecasted seas of 30 feet and winds in excess of 50
knots closing in on its location, Colorado requested the Coast Guard’s
assistance.
Morgenthau, home-ported in Honolulu, was on an Alaska patrol to
carry out a living marine resources mission in the Bering Sea. It was diverted
to the BBC Colorado about 500 miles away.
While en route, Morgenthau’s onboard command center
worked jointly with the 17th District Command Center in Juneau to create a
rescue assistance plan for Colorado. The Coast Guard issued a
marine assistance request, resulting in the response from Resolve Pioneer, a
seagoing tugboat based in Dutch Harbor. Resolve Pioneer began making way
toward BBC Colorado on Oct. 7.
Once within range of BBC Colorado, the Morgenthau
crew launched an embarked helicopter to evaluate the condition of BBC
Colorado, capture images of the vessel to better assist the towing
evolution and make radio contact with the master.
Morgenthau then maintained a constant presence with the Colorado
for more than 24 hours until Resolve Pioneer arrived on scene
Oct. 8. Morgenthau readied emergency gear, including heavy towing
lines, survival equipment and readied the crew in case immediate response was
necessary.
Resolve Pioneer set up tow with the motor vessel BBC Colorado
under the observation of Morgenthau. Upon confirmation that
the tow was holding and intact, Morgenthau crew resumed their
mission of fisheries enforcement in the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea as Resolve
Pioneer made way for Washington with BBC Colorado in tow. No
injuries were reported during the incident.
BBC Colorado, a general cargo ship built in 2008 and currently
sailing under the flag of Antigua & Barbuda, has a length of 131 meters (429.8
feet) and beam of 21 meters (68.8 feet), as well as a gross weight of 9,618
tons.
