Car Carrier Rescues Three Sailors Off Bermuda

[Brief] On Saturday morning, a German-owned car carrier rescued three sailors from a yacht in distress off Bermuda. 

Watchstanders at the U.S. Coast Guard's 5th District Command Center received a call from the Bermuda Rescue Coordination Center, which reported that an EPIRB had been activated aboard the sailing vessel Esmeralda. 

The captain of the yacht told the Bermuda Rescue Coordination Center that he had activated his EPIRB after growing concerned about staying aboard in rough weather and high seas.

USCG watchstanders dispatched a Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City C-130J Hercules aircrew to the scene and activated the AMVER system to request assistance from merchant vessels in the area.

The vehicle carrier vessel Paganella answered the call and diverted to the disabled sailing vessel. Her crew safely recovered and transferred the three mariners onboard, and she is now en route to New York.