Seven fishermen rescued by bulk carrier after their vessel caught fire
Just after midnight on Wednesday 10th November, several emergency beacon signals were received at the Eleventh Coast Guard District command center, from an 85-foot commercial fishing boat, the Blue Dragon. The vessel reported it was some some 350 miles west of Monterey, California, USA.
Immediately a CG C-27 Spartan aircraft was launched from Sacramento airbase; at the same time the Coast Guard notified the MV Nord Rubicon, which was in the vicinity of the boat in distress. The master diverted to assist in any rescue.
The C-27 arrived at the scene at 3.21am, and immediately radioed back that the fishing vessel was on fire, and that the crew were in a nearby life-raft. A second C-27 was launched from Sacramento at 8.00am to assist. The Reederei Nord bulk carrier Nord Rubicon arrived at 9.30am, and soon after rescued all seven crewmen. The bulk carrier then continued to San Francisco.
