AHTS Tor Viking Rescues Mariner and Cat Off Alaska – Dramatic Photos and Video
The icebreaking AHTS Tor Viking on Tuesday got here to the rescue of a distressed mariner and his cat onboard their disabled 30-foot sailboat roughly 400 miles south of Cold Bay, Alaska.
A dramatic video of the rescue was captured by a Coast Guard C-130 plane, which arrived on scene and made contact with the distressed mariner who reported that he had no rudder or rigging and was taking over heavy seas. Weather on scene was reported as 20-foot seas and 46 mph winds.
Luckily, Shell’s arctic drilling rig, Polar Pioneer, was close by and the help vessel Tor Viking was despatched to offer help.
In the video, you may see the person clutch to the rigging of the vessel earlier than making the headfirst leap over the railing of the Tor Viking – apparently along with his cat tucked inside his jacket.
“The assistance of the good Samaritans on this long-range distress call was vital for the success of the rescue,” mentioned Bud Holden, a Coast Guard seventeenth District watchstander. “The crew of Tor Viking battled 20-foot seas and gale force winds to help a fellow mariner.”
Here’s is the Coast Guard video from the rescue:
The Coast Guard mentioned it was alerted to mariner’s dire scenario after he set off his emergency place indicating radio beacon (EPIRB). The Coast Guard Cutter Munro and two MH-60 helicopters and a refueling plane for long-range missions have been additionally despatched to help, the Coast Guard mentioned.
Tor Viking is owned by Viking Supply ships and was a part of Shell’s arctic drilling fleet this previous summer season. The vessel is chartered to Shell till the top of 2015.
The rescue isn’t the primary rescue for Tor Viking up north. In 2010, the AHTS rescued the disabled bulk service Golden Seas from the Bearing Sea in seas as much as 20 ft. See Also: Sea Story – Tor Viking Rescues Disabled Cargo Ship from Bering Sea
Photos courtesy Shell Alaska
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