Whilst on counter-piracy operations with in the southern Red Sea, HMS MONMOUTH received a distress call from a maritime security team based on the yacht BOREAS, a three mast schooner, at anchor in the Red Sea. 

Boreas was concerned about the health of one of their crew members who had been unwell for several days and were requesting urgent medical assistance.  Only 35 miles away, working under combined task force (CTF) 151, Monmouth quickly made her way to meet the yacht and sent the ship’s medical officer, Surgeon Lieutenant Samuel Jeffery Royal Navy, to assess the situation:

 “Having assessed him on the yacht we were able to provide some medical treatment to improve his symptoms.  However, given the remoteness of his location and the time it would have taken for him to get to a hospital, it was decided to transfer him to our medical facilities onboard Monmouth.  Whenever there is a request for medical assistance at sea we have a duty to offer whatever help we can”

 The Commanding Officer of HMS Monmouth, Commander Dean Bassett Royal Navy said:  “Whilst on operations we always stand ready to come to the aid of fellow mariners.  We have a highly skilled medical team onboard and may often find ourselves to be the only medical facility within reach of ships traversing remote areas. I am very pleased that Monmouth was able provide assistance.”

Monmouth is transporting the ill mariner to a local hospital to receive advanced medical treatment.

Coalition forces have a longstanding tradition of helping mariners in distress providing medical assistance, engineering assistance, and search and rescue.