FUKUSEKI MARU NO15

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Castaways repatriated after rescue operation

19 Indonesian fishermen whose longliner 'Bandar Nelayan 188' took on water for three days off the coast of Western Australia have safely arrived back in their home country. 20 men were rescued by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) and the 'Fukuseki Maru No. 15' 670 nautical miles west of Perth on May 15, 2021. One of them, a 33-year-old man, was flown to a Perth hospital in the night of May 16 to undergo surgery on a badly injured hand. He would be discharged and fly into Jakarta in the night of May 20. The Indonesian authorities first alerted the AMSA of the fishing vessel in distress on May 13. The Perth AMSA Challenger jet dropped life jackets to the group the following day before the Australian Defence Force (ADF) aircraft deployed life rafts to the vessel. The 'Fukuseki Maru 15' arrived to assist the castaways on May 15, and the men were transferred to HMAS 'Anzac', which had medical support and an interpreter on board. The vessel sank into the Indian Ocean not long after the rescue operation. All castaways were tested for COVID-19 and returned negative results. Report with photos: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-05-21/rescued-sinking-indonesian-fishermen-wa-coast-arrive-home/100156314