United States Navy vessel, USS Rushmore rescued 65 people from a sunken wooden passenger vessel in the Makassar Strait, between Indonesian islands Kalimantan and Sulawesi.
Initially, the 7 gt Titian Muhibah was en route from Bontang, Kalimantan to Mamuju, Sulawesi; carrying 65 passengers and 32 crew members. The ship was reported to be sinking on 8 June, but the cause of the accident remains unknown according to local reports.
On 10 June, crew of USS Rushmore spotted distressed people waving orange and white flags in makeshift bamboo rafts, while under way in the Makassar Strait.
Commander officer of USS Rushmore, Thomas Stephens, immediately deployed a small boat with two search-and-rescue swimmers to rescue the group on sinking bamboo rafts tied together with no means of propulsion, food, or water.
A total of 65 people were rescued in the operation and they were brought onboard to the navy vessel for medical attention. According to a report from the United States Navy, USS Rushmore has contacted local authorities for the next course of action for the survivors.
This post was sourced from IHS Maritime 360: View the original article here.
