Un “SOS” escrito en la arena de una playa ayudó a localizar a tres marineros que quedaron varados en una pequeña isla de Micronesia.
La Base de la Fuerza Aérea Andersen en Guam, de Estados Unidos, informó que los marineros salieron el 30 de julio en un bote de siete metros desde Poluwat rumbo a Pulap, atolones ubicados en el municipio de Chuuk, en los Estados Federados de Micronesia.
Andersen KC-135 crew locates missing mariners on lone Pacific island
Andersen KC-135 crew locates missing mariners on lone Pacific islandGuardsmen from the 203rd Air Refueling Squadron, Hawaii Air National Guard (ANG) and the 171st Air Refueling Wing, Pennsylvania National Guard deployed here, were the first to locate three missing mariners during a search and rescue mission in the Federated States of Micronesia southwest of Guam, Aug. 2, 2020 (ChST).On July 29, three mariners aboard a 23-foot white and blue skiff departed Puluwat Atoll intending to travel approximately 21 nautical miles to Pulap, Chuuk. However, they never made it to their destination and were reported missing. “Joint Rescue Sub-Center Guam received notification of an overdue skiff last seen in the vicinity of Chuuk and requested our assistance,” said U.S. Air Force Maj. Shaun McRoberts, 506th Air Expeditionary Aerial Refueling Squadron assistant director of operations. “Once notified, we began immediately working a plan to launch crews to locate the missing vessel.”Hawaii Air National Guardsmen Lt. Col. Jason Palmeira-Yen, Maj. Byron Kamikawa, Tech. Sgt. Shane Williams along with Pennsylvania Air National Guardsmen Tech. Sgt. Rodney Joseph and Senior Airman Jeremy Williams took off from Andersen AFB in their KC-135 Stratotanker destined to locate the missing vessel.After almost three hours into their mission and flying at about 1,500 feet, the crew located the mariners on the tiny island of Pikelot, Yap.“We were toward the end of our search pattern,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Jason Palmeira-Yen, the KC-135 pilot. “We turned to avoid some rain showers and that’s when we looked down and saw an island, so we decide to check it out and that’s when we saw SOS and a boat right next to it on the beach. From there we called in the Australian Navy because they had two helicopters nearby that could assist and land on the island.”The Royal Australian Navy ship HMAS Canberra (L02) was also in the region and agreed to divert and provide search sorties with embarked helicopters while the FSS Independence departed from Yap to assist.A helicopter crew from HMAS Canberra delivered supplies to the stranded mariners while a U.S. Coast Guard HC-130 Hercules from Air Station Barbers Point, Hawaii airdropped a radio and message block informing them the FSS Independence was en-route to rescue and return them home."Partnerships" said U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Christopher Chase, Coast Guard Sector Guam, commander. "This is what made this search and rescue case successful. Through coordination with multiple response organizations, we were able to save three members of our community and bring them back home to their families.”At 12 a.m., August 3 (HST), the Independence arrived on scene, launched a small boat crew and rescued the mariners.By Master Sgt. Richard P. Ebensberger, 36th Wing Public AffairsUnited States Air Force, U.S. Pacific Air Forces, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Air Mobility Command, Joint Region Marianas
Posted by Andersen Air Force Base, Guam on Monday, 3 August 2020
Sin embargo, el bote se quedó sin combustible y sus ocupantes se quedaron atrapados en la pequeña isla Pikelot, que está inhabitada.
Lee más: Un dron captó al grupo más grande en el planeta de tortugas verdes marinas anidando
El Centro de Rescate y Coordinación de Guam solicitó apoyo de búsqueda y rescate en la tarde del 1 de agosto. Estados Unidos y Australia desplegaron aeronaves y un buque.
Según la Base de la Fuerza Aérea Andersen, fue gracias a un mensaje escrito en la arena con el mensaje “SOS” que la tripulación de su avión los ubicó el 2 de agosto, tras casi tres horas de la misión.
“Estábamos hacia el final de nuestro patrón de búsqueda”, dijo el teniente coronel Jason Palmeira-Yen de la Fuerza Aérea estadounidense y piloto del KC-135 Stratotanker.
Entérate: La aventura de un escritor y un biólogo marino por el Golfo de California
“Nos regresamos para evitar algunas lluvias y fue entonces cuando miramos hacia abajo y vimos una isla, así que decidimos echarle un vistazo, vimos el SOS y un bote justo al lado en la playa. Desde allí llamamos a la Armada australiana porque tenían dos helicópteros cerca que podían ayudar y aterrizar en la isla”, añadió.
El buque de la Armada Real Australiana Canberra y su equipo de helicópteros entregó suministros a los marineros varados. Un barco patrullero de Micronesia, el FSS Independence, recogió a los tres hombres.
