COMSAT Responds To Distress Call Off Ecuador
On January 6, 2002 at approximately 3:46 a.m., COMSAT Mobile Communications' Southbury, Conn. earth station received an Inmarsat-C "Man Overboard" distress call from Akademikis Zavarickis operating in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Equador. Responding to the call was COMSAT operator Joe Wheelahan, who contacted the ship on via an Inmarsat satellite voice call and connected them with the U.S. Coast Guard's Rescue Coordination Center in Norfolk, VA. Norfolk subsequently passed the information onto RCC Ecuador. A little more than three hours later, the man overboard was located and was returned safely to the vessel. COMSAT mid shift operator Wheelahan's quick response contacting Akademikis Zavarickis via voice communications and then connecting the ship with coast guard's RCC in Norfolk…
COMSAT Mobile Communications -- Working With U.S. Coast Guard to Save Lives at Sea
Two employees of the COMSAT Mobile Communications (CMC) Land Earth Station in Southbury, Conn., were recognized recently by the United States Coast Guard (USCG) for coordinating life-saving satellite communications for the Coast Guard, the maritime vessel Ocean Wolf and four rescue ships. The incident began around 6:30 p.m. EST on Monday, October 30, 2000, when the (USCG) Station in San Juan, Puerto Rico, contacted Southbury requesting assistance in communicating with Ocean Wolf, which had suffered an explosion in the engine room and was taking on water. Unknown at the time was the extent of damage and danger to the vessel — it was adrift and Tropical Storm Joyce was bearing down on its location.
