NOAA Satellites Contribute to Rescue in North Atlantic

Citation

(2008), "NOAA Satellites Contribute to Rescue in North Atlantic", Disaster Prevention and Management, Vol. 17 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/dpm.2008.07317eab.002

NOAA Satellites Contribute to Rescue in North Atlantic

Article Type: News items From: Disaster Prevention and Management, Volume 17, Issue 5

On April 10, 2008, satellites operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) assisted the US Coast Guard in responding to a distress call from the merchant vessel Sea Venus 1,200 miles east of Cape Cod, Massachusetts. The 577-foot Panamanian-flagged vessel, which had a crew of 23 aboard, was en route from Rhode Island to Belgium when a fire broke out in the engine room. NOAA’s satellites detected a radio beacon signal from the vessel, relaying the ship’s location to search and rescue personnel at the Coast Guard’s Rescue Coordination Center (RCC) in Norfolk, Virginia. The Canadian Navy and two other merchant vessels in the area also provided critical coordination. In Canada, personnel based at RCC Halifax alerted the Coast Guard at the RCC in Norfolk that they established voice communication with the Sea Venus’ crew. After extinguishing the fire, 14 of the 23 crew members were safely transferred from the Sea Venus to its sister ship, the Olympian Highway; nine crew members remained onboard to await a tug from Halifax. NOAA’s polar-orbiting and geostationary satellites are part of the international Search and Rescue Satellite-Aided Tracking System called COSPAS-SARSAT, which uses a network of satellites to quickly detect and locate distress signals from emergency beacons onboard ships and aircraft and from handheld personal locator beacons. COSPAS-SARSAT has been credited with more than 22,000 rescues worldwide, including more than 5,800 in the USA and its surrounding waters.

The full NOAA press release can be accessed at www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2008/20080411_sarsat.html