Sailors on the guided-missile cruiser USS Lake Champlain and Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 78 rescued a Mexican man stranded for four days on a disabled sailboat off the coast of Southern California.
A helicopter was conducting deck landing qualifications aboard the Lake Champlain on Tuesday when the aircrew noticed a man aboard a sailing vessel trying to flag them down. The helicopter notified the ship immediately, and the Lake Champlain responded by launching one of the ship’s inflatable boats.
The crew brought the man aboard the ship and evaluated his medical condition. He was found to be in good condition and the ship provided food, water and a place to sleep as the ship sailed back to San Diego.
The man had been sailing from Ensenada, Mexico, when his sailboat lost electrical power and its sails had been degraded to the point that he was not able to sail to shore. The man stated that he had been stranded at sea for approximately four days and had run out of food and water.
“It is the duty of every seagoing vessel to render assistance to any person found at sea in danger of being lost and to rescue anyone in distress,” said Capt. Christopher Barnes, commanding officer of the Lake Champlain.
After the ship returned to San Diego on Wednesday, the man was cleared by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials and released on his own.
— From a Navy press release
