USS Princeton Provides Assistance to Flooding Vessel in Arabian Gulf

Photo By Chief Petty Officer Shannon Renfroe | Arabian Gulf (8 Sep 05) - A Rescue and Assistance Team (R&A Team) from the guided missile cruiser USS Princeton (CG 59) approaches the merchant vessel Ali Alhadid via RHIB. The vessel made a distress call as it was experiencing flooding. Princeton's R&A Team boarded the vessel, made repairs and ensured it was seaworthy again. Princeton is participating in Maritime Security Operations as part of Carrier Strike Group 11/the Nimitz Strike Group. MSO set the conditions for security and stability in the maritime environment as well as complement the counter-terrorism and security efforts of regional nations. MSO deny international terrorists use of the maritime environment as a venue for attack or to transport personnel, weapons, or other material. U.S. Navy photo by PH3 Shannon Renfroe. 050908-N-0413R-01  

09.11.2005

Courtesy Story

DVIDS Hub       

By LT Mike Panado, USS Princeton Public Affairs Officer

ARABIAN GULF - Sailors from the guided missile cruiser USS Princeton (CG 59) had the opportunity to respond to a distress call for assistance on Sept. 7. Late that morning, Princeton's bridge team received a mayday call from the motor vessel, Ali Alhadid, which was flooding and in need of immediate assistance.

A Rescue and Assistance Team (R&A Team) consisting of ENC(SW) Duane Paulsen, EM1(SW) Brett Reape, DC1(SW) James Pizinger, DC2(SW) Terry Artis, HT2(SW) Wiley Henley, HT3(SW) Lovell Cooper, DC3(SW) Lucas Hanson and EM3 John Young, was dispatched and determined that the motor vessel was taking on water and listing to port.

The vessel was experiencing flooding in the engine room from the stern tube seal and main engine cooling pump, and the installed bilge pump was inoperable. The R&A Team assessed that if the engine room could be dewatered and the bilge pump repaired, Ali Alhadid could safely sail to port. Using a portable P-100 pump and an eductor, the Princeton R&A Team was able to dewater the engine room and return the vessel to an even keel.

While the R&A Team continued to dewater the engine room, ENC(SW) Paulsen worked with Ali Alhadid's engineers to repair the vessel's installed bilge pump. After several hours of work in the sweltering engine room, the bilge pump was repaired. With the engine room dewatered, propulsion restored and a working bilge pump, Ali Alhadid was again seaworthy and able to continue her voyage.

Traditionally, U.S. Naval Forces come to the aid of all mariners in distress, providing medical and engineering assistance, as well as search and rescue. Just last month, Princeton provided humanitarian aid to a stranded Iranian fishing dhow, named Hamid, in distress and in need of engineering assistance.

Princeton is currently deployed to the Arabian Gulf as the Air Defense Commander for the Nimitz Strike Group, and is joined with coalition maritime forces that operate throughout international waters in the Arabian Gulf, Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman, Gulf of Aden, Indian Ocean, and the Red Sea, conducting maritime security operations. MSO set the conditions for security and stability in the maritime environment as well as complement the counter-terrorism and security efforts of regional nations. MSO deny international terrorists use of the maritime environment as a venue for attack or to transport personnel, weapons, or other material.

The Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser, homeported in San Diego, Calif., deployed on May 7, 2005.

• Date Taken: 09.11.2005
• Date Posted: 09.11.2005 16:19
• Story ID: 2973