P-3 Assists in Rescuing Fishermen Thought some of you might like this:
Navy News Service
April 15, 2005
YOKOSUKA, Japan - P-3 Orion aircraft from Patrol Squadron (VP) 8 played a critical role in the rescue April 10 of four Philippine fishermen whose vessel had been adrift in the South China Sea.
The fishing vessel Maria Emelyn II had been adrift since March 21. The U.S. Navy offered search-and-rescue assistance after repeated attempts by the Republic of the Philippines navy and coast guard to locate the fishermen were unsuccessful.
Missions were flown from Kadena Air Base on Okinawa, Japan. The squadron also established a detachment in Subic Bay, Philippines. The detachment was able to increase the number of hours spent in the search-and-rescue operation.
VP-8 began search operations April 6, and located the stranded vessel April 9, 60 nautical miles north-northeast of the outer limit of the Spratly Islands.
VP-8 and the Philippine navy's newest ship, the high-speed BRP General Mariano Alvarez (PS 38), helped direct the fishermen to safety. Alvarez is an ex-Cyclone-class vessel provided to the Philippines in April 2004 under the Excess Defense Articles Program.
Cmdr. Gerry Benavente, 7th Fleet air operations officer, said the operation was a team effort.
"The rescue was a great effort to save the four fishermen, who had already run out of food and water," said Benavente. "Both the air and ground crew of VP-8 put in a tremendous amount of work."
This rescue was particularly profound, Benavente pointed out, as both navies had recently completed a similar scenario.
"The cooperation was outstanding. Just a few weeks ago, a Philippine ship exercised control of our P-3 and a Republic of Philippines navy Islander patrol aircraft in order to practice our cooperative rescue efforts," said Benavente. "The combined rescue of these fishermen is another real-world example of the importance of the United States and Philippines training together."
VP-8, based at Naval Air Station Brunswick, Maine, is on a routine six-month deployment to the 7th Fleet area of responsibility.
Navy News Service
April 15, 2005
YOKOSUKA, Japan - P-3 Orion aircraft from Patrol Squadron (VP) 8 played a critical role in the rescue April 10 of four Philippine fishermen whose vessel had been adrift in the South China Sea.
The fishing vessel Maria Emelyn II had been adrift since March 21. The U.S. Navy offered search-and-rescue assistance after repeated attempts by the Republic of the Philippines navy and coast guard to locate the fishermen were unsuccessful.
Missions were flown from Kadena Air Base on Okinawa, Japan. The squadron also established a detachment in Subic Bay, Philippines. The detachment was able to increase the number of hours spent in the search-and-rescue operation.
VP-8 began search operations April 6, and located the stranded vessel April 9, 60 nautical miles north-northeast of the outer limit of the Spratly Islands.
VP-8 and the Philippine navy's newest ship, the high-speed BRP General Mariano Alvarez (PS 38), helped direct the fishermen to safety. Alvarez is an ex-Cyclone-class vessel provided to the Philippines in April 2004 under the Excess Defense Articles Program.
Cmdr. Gerry Benavente, 7th Fleet air operations officer, said the operation was a team effort.
"The rescue was a great effort to save the four fishermen, who had already run out of food and water," said Benavente. "Both the air and ground crew of VP-8 put in a tremendous amount of work."
This rescue was particularly profound, Benavente pointed out, as both navies had recently completed a similar scenario.
"The cooperation was outstanding. Just a few weeks ago, a Philippine ship exercised control of our P-3 and a Republic of Philippines navy Islander patrol aircraft in order to practice our cooperative rescue efforts," said Benavente. "The combined rescue of these fishermen is another real-world example of the importance of the United States and Philippines training together."
VP-8, based at Naval Air Station Brunswick, Maine, is on a routine six-month deployment to the 7th Fleet area of responsibility.