STAR MEGA

scrapped

General information

Course/Position

Latest news

beached

beached at alang 18.06.15 Plot 16

Melagodon rescued distressed sailor

Coast Guard crews in combined efforts with the crew of the "Megalodon" rescued a sailor aboard a life raft Friday, approximately 420 nautical miles northeast of Puerto Rico. The 41-year-old French citizen, was forced to abandon the French-flagged sailing vessel "Tepacap", after the vessel reportedly capsized and started to sink. The man had been able to board his life raft with food, water, a satellite phone, a handheld Global Positioning System device, and a 406MHz-Emergency Positioning Indicating Radio Beacon (EPRIRB). He communicated his distress by activating his 406MHz-EPIRB and calling back to France using his satellite phone. Coast Guard watchstanders in Sector San Juan received notification at 8a.m. on May 26, 2011, from a French Rescue Coordination Center watchstander in Martinque, who reported to the Coast Guard that the French-flagged sailing vessel had sunk approximately 420 nautical miles east of Puerto Rico. Coast Guard watchstanders immediately launched an HU-25 Falcon Jet from Air Station Borinquen to search for the distressed sailor. They also conducted an AMVER callout to identify and notify vessels transiting in the vicinity of the distress. The "Megalodon" was transiting from Colombia to Israel to deliver their cargo when they received the AMVER callout and the Coast Guard’s request for assistance. The crew of the HU-25 Falcon Jet was able to home in on Barriere’s 406MHz-EPIRB and locate the sailor safely aboard his life raft. The Falcon crew droped an additional radio, food and water. With the assistance of the Coast Guard aircraft, the Megalodon located the raft at 10 p.m. and found to be in good health but very tired. The "Megalodon" continued to its next scheduled port of call in Israel and will make arrangements along the way for Barriere to be transferred to French authorities.