Republic of Korea Navy warship ROKS Dae Jo Yeong, working for Combined Task Force (CTF) 151, came to the aid of a Somalia flagged fishing boat named Gamur in the Gulf of Aden on 28 August.
While sailing in the Gulf of Aden, USNS Washington Chambers detected a fishing boat waving a white flag and informed the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) Headquarters in Bahrain. ROKS Dae Jo Yeong, who was conducting patrols in the Gulf of Aden, was subsequently tasked by CTF151 to proceeded to the fishing boat with best speed and conduct a Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Operation. Two Rigid-hulled Inflatable Boat (RHIBs) were launched from the ship to immediately conduct a safety check of the fishing boat and crew.
Twelve days had passed since the fishing boat started to drift due to the engine trouble, and although fatigued, the health status of crew was deemed not serious. They were provided water and fresh food by the crew of ROKS Dae Jo Yeong. Unfortunately, the engine could not be fixed, so ROKS Dae Jo Yeong took the boat and crew onboard, and sailed 240 nautical miles to hand the boat and crew over to Somalia Coast Guard.
Commenting on the international cooperation, Rear Admiral Emre Sezenler of the Turkish Navy, Commander CTF151, said: “Republic of Korea and US ships worked together for this operation and they did a good job. This incident demonstrates the important role played by warships in protecting the safety of life at sea of all mariners.”
This is the second SOLAS Operations of CTF 151 assets after of which was conducted by Japan Navy Ship JS Teruzuki on 21 June.
Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) 