SUBIC BAY, Philippines (NNS) -- Fleet replenishment oiler USNS John Ericsson's (T-AO 194) crew of civil service mariners rescued five Filipino fishermen from the South China Sea 10 miles off the coast of Luzon, Philippines, July 14.
John Ericsson's crew rescued the fishermen nine hours after their boat capsized in rough seas as Typhoon Conson passed over the island of Luzon.
Ericsson had sortied from Subic Bay to sea July 13 to avoid the storm and was returning to Subic Bay when Able Bodied Seaman Charles Wright spotted the fishermen at 1:10 p.m., clinging to their overturned banka boat and waving a yellow flag.
At 1:33 p.m., Ericsson lowered its rigid hull inflatable boat into the sea, and 10 minutes later all five fishermen were safe on Ericsson's deck, where a physician examined them.
"They were a bit shaken up because the seas were rough, but otherwise were in good health and happy to be on our ship," said Tiffany Brockman, Ericsson's chief mate. "We gave them fresh clothing, new socks and boots and a nice meal."
A few hours after their rescue, the fishermen were ashore and handed over to the care of the Philippine Coast Guard.
"The crew was pretty excited to have played a role in helping these fishermen," said Brockman, noting that the Ericsson had several Tagalog-speaking members in its crew, making communication easy. "At first, nobody was happy that we had to sortie due to the typhoon, but being able to help these mariners in need made it all worth it."
Ericsson is a Military Sealift Command (MSC) fleet replenishment oiler, crewed by 92 civil service mariners working for MSC, who operate and navigate the ship, and three sailors who provide communications support and supply coordination. The ship provides underway replenishment of fuel to Navy combat ships and jet fuel for aircraft aboard aircraft carriers at sea.
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