Aircraft Carrier Assists Sinking Tug

November 12, 1999

A U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier went to the rescue of a sinking tugboat off the Florida coast, dispatching a repair team that helped pump seven ft. of water from the vessel's hull, the U.S. Military's Southern Command said. It was the second rescue by a U.S. aircraft carrier off Florida's Atlantic coast in three weeks. USS John F. Kennedy rescued eight crewmen of a sinking tug from the Atlantic Ocean in mid-September. USS George Washington responded to a distress call from Norfolk, Virginia-based Coastal Sun, which was taking on water as it towed a barge to Jacksonville, Fla. Two damage control specialists from the carrier were lowered from a helicopter onto the tug's pitching deck along with a submersible pump. They worked through the night to stabilize the boat, which was listing at 10-15 degrees and in danger of sinking, SouthCom said. As the crew worked, George Washington escorted the tug closer to shore and it eventually pulled into Jacksonville for repairs, officials said.

Aircraft Carrier Assists Sinking Tug

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