The crew of an orange juice tanker have saved a sailor from his burning, sinking yacht off Puerto Rico.
The US Coast Guard praised the actions of the crew from the 23,000-dwt Orange Ocean (built 2014) on 6 December.
The seafarers worked with Coast Guard officers to coordinate the rescue of solo yachtsman Kirill Mikhaylov, 53, from St Kitts & Nevis, in the Atlantic Ocean, about 420 miles (675 km) north of Puerto Rico.
Photos show his 46-foot (14-metre) sailing vessel Poesterd engulfed by flames during a trip from Bermuda to the eastern Caribbean Island of St Maarten.
Coast Guard watch-standers issued an alert notifying all vessels in the area of the emergency.
The Liberia-flagged tanker responded and diverted to the scene.
The ship, operated by Atlanship of Switzerland, launched its rescue boat and recovered Mikhaylov uninjured.
The yachtsman was en route to a safe haven that had yet to be determined by the tanker.
Adam Johns, Coast Guard sector San Juan search and rescue mission coordinator, said: “The meticulous coordination and communication between Coast Guard Sector San Juan watch-standers and the AMVER [Automated Mutual Assistance Vessel Rescue System] vessel Orange Ocean crew played a crucial role in saving the life of this fortunate boater from the perils at sea,
“This case shows the deep gratitude we have for our AMVER merchant vessels at sea, as well as the importance of having the proper emergency equipment when navigating the high seas, such as the EPIRB [emergency position-indicating radio beacon].”
AMVER was established in 1958 and is sponsored by the USCG.
Any commercial vessel, regardless of nation or flag, of more than 1,000 gt on voyages of 24 hours or longer is encouraged to enrol.
