US Navy rescues three distressed Filipino fishers in South China Sea
Three distressed Filipino fishermen in the South China Sea were rescued by crew members of a US Navy ship in the first hour of the new year on Thursday, Jan. 1.
The US Navy reported that crew members of the Lewis and Clark-class dry cargo ship USNS Cesar Chavez, which was conducting routine logistics and resupply missions in support of the US Seventh Fleet, spotted three Filipino fishermen in distress at around 12:45 p.m. on January.
Sailors on watch-duty then notified the bridge, and the vessel launched a rigid-hulled inflatable boat to recover the fishers.
"The three individuals, later identified as citizens of the Republic of the Philippines, were brought aboard Cesar Chavez and evaluated by the ship’s medical staff. All three were found to be in good health," the US Navy said, adding that the Philippine authorities were immediately notified.
The US Navy later learned that the engine of the Filipino fishers' vessel was flooded on Dec. 28 due to heavy seas, which left them adrift.
They left the port a day prior, on Dec. 27, and survived on rationed food and water before being located by the Cesar Chavez.