Coast Guard locates crew of disabled fishing vessel

[Stacey King]

Hononolulu Advertiser Tuesday 9 Feb 2010
The Coast Guard says that it located the 28-member crew of the disabled fishing vessel Hou Chun 11 early this morning and is providing medical care to injured crewmembers. Corpsmen aboard the cutter Alex Haley are treating two Hou Chun 11 crewmembers who are reported to have suffered burns. The Alex Haley will take the injured men to Christmas Island, Kiribati, where they will be medically evacuated.

Crewmen from the Hou Chun 11 took to life rafts after

their vessel caught fire. U.S. Coast Guard photo

The Hou Chun 11 burns 900 miles southwest of Honolulu in a photo taken yesterday by a Coast Guard HC-130 Hercules. U.S. Coast Guard photo

Crew from the cutter Alex Haley transfer crewmen from the Hou Chun 11 this morning. U.S. Coast Guard photo

The Alex Haley arrived on scene at approximately 3 a.m. today. A Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point HC-130 Hercules aircrew remained on scene after the Alex Haley arrived to coordinate the exact position of the life rafts. The cause of the fire remains unknown.

Coast Guard Joint Rescue Coordination Center watchstanders received the call here yesterday at 7:30 a.m. about a fire aboard Hou Chun 11 and launched an HC-130 Hercules at 10 a.m. to the vessel's location 900 miles southwest of Honolulu. The Alex Haley, homeported in Kodiak, Alaska, and a U.S. Navy P-3 aircrew also responded to the call.