31 Fishermen Were Rescued from Disabled Floating Vessel after a Fire Spread around Their Deck

31 Fishermen almost lost their lives after a fire broke out on their disabled Canadian fishing vessel. A rescue team luckily responded to the scene and was able to save the fishermen.

The US and Canadian Coast Guards and the Royal Canadian Airforce rescued 31 fishers from a vessel in Nova Scotia, on March 2. On the evening of the event, a Joint Rescue Coordination Center in Halifax notified watchstanders.

The vessel was disabled with a fire on board and took over water. The AUS Coast Guard Air Station Cape and Jayhawk helicopter crews arrived at the scene.

A helicopter crew reportedly hoisted six crewmembers from the sinking ship and dropped off two search and rescue technicians to help dewater the vessel. A Canadian Hercules provided top cover for the operation.

The US crew pulled up 21 fishers between the two helicopters. They transported all the rescued members to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia and transferred them to receive medical attention.

The remaining four members, and the two technicians, stopped dewatering the vessel and transferred to the Canadian Coast Guard Ship the next morning. The vessel reportedly sank in the morning.

Captain Wes Hester, chief of response, disclosed that they have a good working relationship with their Canadian partners. He also shared they conduct training every year with them.

The weather at the time of the incident reportedly included 26-foot waves and winds up to 35 miles per hour. CEO of the company ship, Martin Sullivan, expressed a sense of relief of the saved fishermen.

Sullivan shared they are relieved and thankful that the rescue teams safely transported all the crew members. He added that they are in the process of reuniting with their loved ones.

Lt. Travis Christy, who participated in the rescue mission, talked about the experience. According to CNN, Christy and his team faced up to 33-foot waves and winds of 40-50 knots.

He said it was the most difficult conditions for hoisting he had ever witnessed in his career. Philip Morales, another US Coast Guard, said this is a mission that will forever be in his memory.

While the members aboard were safely rescued, the same cannot be said about a similar seashore incident that occurred last month. According to People, sixteen people were missing off the coast of Florida.

At the time, the authorities reportedly called off one search and launched another. The rescue team released a statement saying they suspended their search for six people who went missing 23 miles east of Fort Pierce.

They carried out another search for ten people who went missing south of Key West. The officials and a good Samaritan rescued a Jamaican man from the water of the coast of Fort Pierce.

The man reportedly revealed that he and six other people were on their way from Bimini in the Bahamas when their boat capsized. The officials said they searched the area for over 100 hours but could not find them and called off the search.