The U.S. Coast Guard coordinated the rescue of 22 crew members from a vehicle carrier after an engine room fire forced the crew to abandon ship roughly 630 miles south of Costa Rica. Coast Guard Southwest District watchstanders received an Inmarsat distress alert from the Marshall Islands-flagged Min Jiang Kou at 1:09 p.m. Thursday.
The crew activated the ship’s carbon dioxide suppression system, which initially contained the blaze, but conditions deteriorated late Thursday as smoke increased, prompting the captain to order the crew into lifeboats. Given the vessel’s remote position, the Coast Guard turned to the Automated Mutual-Assistance Vessel Rescue System (AMVER) to identify merchant ships in the area. The motor vessel Jin Hai Ping and motor tanker Degu diverted to assist.
Jin Hai Ping recovered all 22 mariners and is expected to transport them to Akita, Japan. “This rescue highlights the strength of international partnerships, and the vital role coordination plays in ensuring mariners in distress receive timely assistance,” said Capt. Jessica Davila, Southwest District chief of incident management. No environmental impacts were reported, and the vessel is coordinating with Resolve Marine for further repairs.
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