Greek Tanker Crew Receives Award From USCG & Sunoco Inc. For Rescue
MARCUS HOOK, Pa. - Cmdr. Michael Antonellis, Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay Office of Prevention, and Georgios Vatsas, master of the tanker vessel Delta Kanaris, stand with an Automated Mutual-Assistance Vessel Rescue System pennant outside Sunoco Inc., in Marcus Hook March 8, 2011. Five crewmembers from the Greek-flagged ship Delta Kanaris safely rescued four French nationals in the Atlantic Ocean using the AMVER system after the French sailing vessel sank 1,582 miles east of San Juan, Puerto Rico.
The crew of the Delta Kanaris rescued the French nationals from the Atlantic Ocean after their sailing vessel, the Recidive, sank on Feb. 26. The commercial vessel was diverted at the request of Coast Guard 5th District watchstanders in Portsmouth, Va.
The watchstanders received notification of a broadcast from an emergency position indicating radio beacon assigned to the vessel at 1:45 p.m. on Feb. 25.
Using AMVER, the Coast Guard directed the Delta Kanaris to the location of the EPIRB where they rescued the Recidive’s crew before continuing on their route to Philadelphia.
"This case is a demonstration of the continued tradition of mariners helping mariners at sea and ensuring that no call for help goes unanswered," said Beverly Howard, program analyst for AMVER Maritime Relations.
The French nationals were sailing from the Canary Islands to Martinique on a trans-Atlantic voyage.
MARCUS HOOK, Pa. - (Left to right) Konstantinos Nikolados, superintendant of the tanker vessel Delta Kanaris, Lt. Andrew Madjeska, crewmember Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay in Philadelphia, Cmdr. Michael Antonellis, Sector Delaware Bay Office of Prevention, Carol Ziegler, community relations manager, Sunoco Inc., Georgios Vatsas, Master of the Delta Kanaris, Theodoros Pelagiois, superintendant of the Delta Kanaris, Georgios Rousos, chief engineer of the Delta Kanaris and Ronald Rosario, superintendant of the Delta Kanaris, stand outside Sunoco Inc., in Marcus Hook for an awards ceremony March 8, 2011.
U.S. Coast Guard photos by Petty Officer 2nd Class Crystalynn A. Kneen
Source: USCG Release