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USS Fort McHenry Assists Stranded Fishermen

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS080131-02
Release Date: 1/31/2008 6:30:00 AM

By Chief Mass Communication Specialist (SW/AW) Jason Morris, Africa Partnership Station Public Affairs

USS FORT MCHENRY, At Sea (NNS) -- A Sao Tome and Principe (STP) fishing boat was found floating out to sea 26 nautical miles south of STP, Jan. 30; lookouts from USS Fort McHenry (LSD 43) spotted the distressed fishing vessel and immediately reported the news to the officer of the deck.

Fort McHenry immediately stopped and rendered aide to the two men.

The vessel has been out to sea for four days and has run out of fuel and supplies. Fort McHenry, with the aide of Africa Partnership Station's (APS) Portuguese Operations Officer, Lt. Cmdr. Jose Neto who provided translation assistance, rendered aide to the vessel by providing fuel, oil, fresh provisions and directions. One crew member, Chief Master-at-Arms Bobby Warren, donated his personal compass to help the fishermen navigate back to the island of Principe.

"I was on look out when I noticed something in the water, it looked like a whale at first," said Seamen Maurice Melton, a Fort McHenry crew member from Gordon, Ala., who spotted the small boat. "When we came closer, I saw two men in the boat. They were waving their shirts in the air and pointing to their stomachs saying they were very hungry."

"The fishermen thought for sure they were going to die, one of them was telling me about his four children as we passed along food and water to them," said Neto. "They were scared that we were going to leave them out there, but when they learned that Fort McHenry would show them the way back home, they became very happy."

Once the transfer of supplies was complete, the freshly stocked STP fishing vessel followed Fort McHenry back to the island of Principe.

APS personnel contacted the STP Coast Guard to brief them of the situation and current condition of the men found. Coast Guard officials responded by thanking the U.S. Navy and immediately attempted to contact the fishermen's families to let them know of their status. STP Coast Guard was on standby to render assistance.

"This is exactly the reason the Sao Tome and Principe Coast Guard was established. Every year, we lose fisherman at sea due to collisions or lack of proper navigation," said Lt. Hamilton Neto Nascimento de Sousa, Executive Officer, STP Coast Guard. "As our Coast Guard and its personnel become more experienced, the more lives we can save."

Fort McHenry has just departed STP and was in route to Equatorial Guinea in support of Africa Partnership Station when it spotted the distressed vessel. APS is one in a series of activities designed to build maritime safety and security in Africa in a comprehensive and collaborative manner, focusing first on the Gulf of Guinea.

It responds to specific African requests for assistance, is aligned with broad international community and U.S. objectives, and is reflective of the mission of the U.S. Africa Command.

It seeks to take partnerships into action in a concerted interagency and multinational effort to promote maritime governance around Africa. APS is inspired by the belief that effective maritime safety and security will contribute to development, economic prosperity, and security ashore.