Again, BAINBRIDGE Saves Lives at Sea
On Friday, 28 December 2007, USS BAINBRIDGE (DDG 96) was in the right place at the right time for a second instance during her maiden deployment to the Mediterranean Sea. Earlier in the year, this Norfolk, Virginia-based destroyer joined with a NATO effort to rescue emaciated Yemeni Army soldiers following a catastrophic volcano disaster. Through direct and concentrated effort from the entire crew, three more people may be added to the list of BAINBRIDGE saved.
While the ship was patrolling in international waters, Conning Officer Ensign Dustin Moore noticed a curious occurrence on the deck of a small fishing boat positioned along the ship’s track. A man waving an orange flag was attempting to gain attention the attention of the BAINBRIDGE crew. Confirming initial suspicions as to the man’s intent, Junior Officer of the Deck Ensign Jon Sieg remarked, “His desperate gestures made it clear to us that the people on the boat were in need of assistance.”
Endeavoring to learn more about the situation, the bridge team attempted radio communication to no avail. Requiring more information regarding this unique scene, the ship sent a Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure (VBSS) Team to the distressed vessel. Initial communications with the crew were mildly successful, however, since the three stranded men spoke only thickly accented French. Thankfully, one of BAINBRIDGE’s officers spoke the language and returned with Ensign Adam Jones as the official translator.When the Team’s small boat arrived once more at the stranded vessel, Team Leader Sonar Technician Chief Victor Meza conducted a quick visual sweep of the topside spaces. After concluding that the boat was safe, two BAINBRIDGE engineers found an engine room in extreme disrepair. No fuel, no battery power, and a completely destroyed engine plagued the aft-most space, worsening with each 30-degree roll, and filling with water. The engineers concluded that the boat was becoming more and more unstable.
Conversations with the boat’s inhabitants gleaned much information as to the events leading to this perilous situation. Through his translation, Ensign Jones learned that on 8 December 2007 these men had departed for Benghazi, Egypt from Libya when their boat experienced catastrophic engine failure. When BAINBRIDGE arrived on the scene, the two Tunisians and one Libyan had been adrift for 20 days. The men were in need of assistance and both agreed to abandon their vessel in exchange for refuge. Realizing they had been saved, the fishermen expressed sincere gratitude for their rescue.
Preparations to receive the ship’s newest guests aboard BAINBRIDGE began in concert with finalization of the rescue process and started immediately when the three men arrived. Hospital Corpsman First Class Byron Davis and his team performed medical assessments while Master at Arms First Class Dalton Mauldin and Command Master Chief Steve Rafter verified accommodations and appropriate security. Operations Officer Lieutenant Troy Denison coordinated with the Greek National Authority to arrange a personnel transfer. BAINBRIDGE set a course for Souda Bay where the three men were transferred to a Hellenic Coast Guard vessel.
As BAINBRIDGE departed to continue her operational schedule, VBSS team member Engineman First Class Timothy Richards commented that, “The hard preparedness and training that we as destroyermen practice paid dividends in [this] real situation.” Reflecting on a full day of accomplishment, Ensign Jones, the translator throughout the entire process, echoed these comments. “You never know what to expect in this job,” he remarked. “It’s what the training is about. You can never be sure [if] one day will be the same as the last…”
Once again, this mighty ship had saved lives, furthering its now international reputation of competence, dedication, and discipline.
On Friday, 28 December 2007, USS BAINBRIDGE (DDG 96) was in the right place at the right time for a second instance during her maiden deployment to the Mediterranean Sea. Earlier in the year, this Norfolk, Virginia-based destroyer joined with a NATO effort to rescue emaciated Yemeni Army soldiers following a catastrophic volcano disaster. Through direct and concentrated effort from the entire crew, three more people may be added to the list of BAINBRIDGE saved.
While the ship was patrolling in international waters, Conning Officer Ensign Dustin Moore noticed a curious occurrence on the deck of a small fishing boat positioned along the ship’s track. A man waving an orange flag was attempting to gain attention the attention of the BAINBRIDGE crew. Confirming initial suspicions as to the man’s intent, Junior Officer of the Deck Ensign Jon Sieg remarked, “His desperate gestures made it clear to us that the people on the boat were in need of assistance.”
Endeavoring to learn more about the situation, the bridge team attempted radio communication to no avail. Requiring more information regarding this unique scene, the ship sent a Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure (VBSS) Team to the distressed vessel. Initial communications with the crew were mildly successful, however, since the three stranded men spoke only thickly accented French. Thankfully, one of BAINBRIDGE’s officers spoke the language and returned with Ensign Adam Jones as the official translator.When the Team’s small boat arrived once more at the stranded vessel, Team Leader Sonar Technician Chief Victor Meza conducted a quick visual sweep of the topside spaces. After concluding that the boat was safe, two BAINBRIDGE engineers found an engine room in extreme disrepair. No fuel, no battery power, and a completely destroyed engine plagued the aft-most space, worsening with each 30-degree roll, and filling with water. The engineers concluded that the boat was becoming more and more unstable.
Conversations with the boat’s inhabitants gleaned much information as to the events leading to this perilous situation. Through his translation, Ensign Jones learned that on 8 December 2007 these men had departed for Benghazi, Egypt from Libya when their boat experienced catastrophic engine failure. When BAINBRIDGE arrived on the scene, the two Tunisians and one Libyan had been adrift for 20 days. The men were in need of assistance and both agreed to abandon their vessel in exchange for refuge. Realizing they had been saved, the fishermen expressed sincere gratitude for their rescue.
Preparations to receive the ship’s newest guests aboard BAINBRIDGE began in concert with finalization of the rescue process and started immediately when the three men arrived. Hospital Corpsman First Class Byron Davis and his team performed medical assessments while Master at Arms First Class Dalton Mauldin and Command Master Chief Steve Rafter verified accommodations and appropriate security. Operations Officer Lieutenant Troy Denison coordinated with the Greek National Authority to arrange a personnel transfer. BAINBRIDGE set a course for Souda Bay where the three men were transferred to a Hellenic Coast Guard vessel.
As BAINBRIDGE departed to continue her operational schedule, VBSS team member Engineman First Class Timothy Richards commented that, “The hard preparedness and training that we as destroyermen practice paid dividends in [this] real situation.” Reflecting on a full day of accomplishment, Ensign Jones, the translator throughout the entire process, echoed these comments. “You never know what to expect in this job,” he remarked. “It’s what the training is about. You can never be sure [if] one day will be the same as the last…”
Once again, this mighty ship had saved lives, furthering its now international reputation of competence, dedication, and discipline.
