U.S. ARMY KWAJALEIN ATOLL, Marshall Islands -- USAKA's Great Bridge was called into action on a search and rescue mission Wednesday and towed a disabled boat carrying 101 people back to Ebeye.
Adrift in high seas and only using remaining batteries to power their radio, the Enin Meto, contacted Harbor Control to request rescue of their vessel. The 80-foot vessel was traveling from Lib to Ebeye with 90 adults and 11 children when its engines failed and it lost power.
After multiple notifications coordinated by USAKA Operations and confirmation that the Coast Guard had no units in the area, USAKA made the decision to launch the recovery. At 7:30 p.m., the Great Bridge departed Kwaj with two Kwajalein Fire Department EMTs, picked up crew members on Ebeye, and headed out of South Pass for the 25-mile journey to the stranded Enin Meto.
"We had to get the boat ready, secure cargo, get a crew together. … It's a big deal to get one of these ships going -- takes a half hour just to get the engine fully started," said Guy Sandusky, the harbor master at the Marine Department here.
The Great Bridge made visual contact with the Enin Meto at 9:50 p.m. and met the ship at 10:30 p.m. After a failed attempt to secure a tow line and several tense minutes, the Great Bridge began the journey back to Kwajalein Atoll just after 11 p.m. with the Enin Meto in tow.
Fighting high seas and strong winds, the Great Bridge, captained by Ron Sylvester, successfully and safely towed the vessel through the night back to Ebeye. After getting off to a sluggish 2.5 knot start, Sylvester radioed back to Harbor Control that they should be able to return the Enin Meto back to Ebeye by 6:40 a.m., Thursday. The boats made up time along the way and by 5:50 a.m. Thursday, the Great Bridge delivered the Enin Meto to Ebeye and was back on Kwajalein by 6:45 a.m.
"This demonstrates how a community can come together in a time of crisis. Many people from USAKA, Kwajalein Range Services, the weather station, Kwajalein Police Department, Kwajalein Fire Department, the Marine Department, the Coast Guard, and especially the crew of the Great Bridge played a role in bringing 101 Marshallese men, women, and children home safely," said Lt. Col. Dean Wiley, acting USAKA commander.
Lib is about 30 miles south of Kwajalein Atoll. The Enin Meto was rescued in the open ocean about 25 miles from Ebeye.
"We were looking for the proverbial needle in the haystack. The Great Bridge is definitely ocean-capable but this mission was much different in the sense that you're in the open ocean. There were rough seas and it was very dark that night," said Sandusky.
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