Sailors from two US warships battled a motorboat blaze on the high seas this week, efforts officials said saved the lives of three mariners.
Personnel from the guided-missile destroyer Nitze and patrol coastal ship Monsoon rushed to rescue the trio after spotting their small craft erupt in flames on Wednesday, Oct. 26, in the Gulf of Aden, roughly 50 nautical miles off the coast of Yemen, according to US Central Command.
“I’m so proud of our sailors for being ready to respond and performing their duty to save lives with the upmost professionalism,” said Capt. Robert Francis, the commander of Bahrain-based Task Force 55, part of the 5th Fleet. “Making a positive difference is what the US Navy’s presence in this region is all about.”
The US Navy's guided-missile destroyer Nitze steams toward a motorboat blaze in the Gulf of Aden on Oct. 26, 2022. US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Cryton Vandiesal.
The rescued mariners told sailors they were citizens of Yemen, so commanders transferred them to the Yemen Coast Guard.
An escort for the aircraft carrier George H.W. Bush, the Arleigh Burke-class Nitze departed its homeport at Virginia’s Naval Station Norfolk on July 17.
Its crew continues to conduct counterpiracy, maritime security, humanitarian aid, disaster relief, and crisis response duties in Middle Eastern waters.
Commissioned in 1994, Monsoon is a Cyclone-class coastal patrol ship homeported in Manama, the capital of Bahrain.
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