Fishing Crew Rescued After Engine Fire

A crew of 36 fishermen was rescued Sunday from a Papua New Guinean ship after an engine fire left the fishing vessel disabled roughly 200 miles off Tokelau, a territory of New Zealand in the South Pacific.

The rescue was coordinated by the Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand (RCCNZ), with assistance from the U.S. Coast Guard as well as another nearby fishing vessel.

Search and Rescue Mission Coordinator, Mike Roberts, said the one-year-old Papua New Guinea registered Glory Pacific No.8 activated its emergency beacon  after an engine room fire disabled the ship 210 miles NNE of Tokelau, just inside the New Zealand search and rescue region.

The U.S. Coast Guard Honolulu offered to send a C130 Hercules aircraft to investigate, and because the location was so far North, the U.S. aircraft could get to the scene before RNZAF aircraft could from New Zealand.

RCCNZ located another fishing vessel, the Marshall Islands registered Lomalo, about 100 miles from Glory Pacific No.8 and directed it to Glory Pacific No.8's location.

All 36 crew from the Glory Pacific No.8 have been rescued, and its owners are making salvage arrangements.