APL SAIPAN

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Container ship assisted in rescue of three fishermen

Three men clinging to a part of their capsized boat that was still above the waterline were saved in the morning of May 25, 2021, with the patrol boat of the Department of Public Safety Boating Safety Section arriving in time to pluck the three men from their sinking boat. In a joint effort by the Department of Public Safety Boating Safety Section, U.S. Coast Guard Sector Guam, and the 'APL Saipan', the three fishermen were rescued in the waters five miles South of the island Sarigan. The DPS received a call at 4:30 a.m. regarding a distressed vessel and dispatched a patrol boat out of Smiling Cove soon after. At 9:29 a.m. the officers noticed a vessel’s bow above the water with three fishermen holding on to the vessel, helped the three men onto their boat, and transported them to the passing container ship for medical attention. All three fishermen did not have any injuries and were dropped off in Saipan where the 'APL Saipan' arrived eight hours late. They had left Saipan in the morning of May 24, travelling during the day to the site where they were found to go night fishing. The fisherman noticed that the vessel was taking in a lot of water, and within a minute the boat began to capsize. The operator used a satellite phone to call a friend to let him know that their boat was capsizing. The friend then called DPS for help. Report with photo: https://www.saipantribune.com/index.php/three-rescued-from-sinking-boat/