NATO Warship Saves 8 Yemeni Sailors

February 24, 2014

On Friday, 21 February 2014, NATO warship HNLMS EVERTSEN rescued 8 Yemeni seamen who were found in the water in the Gulf of Aden.

Earlier that morning, an automated distress call was received by the UK Coast Guards in Falmouth, United Kingdom, indicating that a ship was in distress off the north-eastern coast of Somalia. Using the position listed in the distress call, a Japanese maritime patrol aircraft was able to locate the beacon 50 nautical miles north of Qandala, Somalia. HNLMS EVERTSEN, which was patrolling in the area, immediately proceeded to the position.

At 13:22 local time, HNLMS EVERTSEN was able to locate 8 survivors in the water who were clinging to what appeared to be the debris from a small merchant vessel. The crew of EVERTSEN immediately took the survivors on board to give them medical attention. The medical condition of the rescued crew is not yet known.

The survivors constituted the entire crew of Yemeni vessel M/V Horana which was sailing from Mukalla, Yemen, before it sank into the Gulf of Aden.