United States Coast Guard Cutter (USCGC) Maui recently rescued five Iranian mariners who were adrift in a life raft in the northern part of the Gulf.
USCGC Maui was conducting maritime operations in the northern part of the Gulf, under the command of the US led Combined Task Force (CTF) 152, when a member of the Ship’s Company spotted the life raft. On investigation the life raft was found to contain the five Iranian mariners whose fishing dhow had sunk.
CTF 152’s mandate in the region is to conduct Maritime Security Operations under international maritime conventions to ensure security and safety in international waters so that commercial shipping and fishing vessels can operate safely in the region.
Lieutenant Earl Potter, US Navy, Commanding Officer, USCGC Maui said “Our crew members with first aid training went right to work, the crew did an amazing job, the mariners would not have lasted much longer if we did not have the fortune of finding them.”
The five mariners were rescued and given food, water and medical treatment, and were transferred to the Iranian Coast Guard ship Naji Seven later that evening.
Lieutenant Potter added “It was a night time transfer; everyone was cordial and professional and wished us well on the radio.”
CTF 152 is one of three maritime task forces that make up Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), a multi-national naval partnership of 29 nations, which exists to promote security, stability and prosperity across approximately 2.5 million square miles of international waters, which encompass some of the world’s most important shipping lanes.
Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) 