The Navy came to the rescue this week when a fishing boat sank in the waters off Georgia.
According to the Navy Times, the Coast Guard in Miami received a distress signal at 3:30 a.m. ET on Tuesday from the Barbara Lynn first, a 42-foot fishing boat. The Coast Guard sent out an alert to ships in the area as it dispatched a cutter and a helicopter to respond.
The guided-missile cruiser Hué City was 20 minutes away and raced to the scene. When it arrived, a rescue swimmer deployed in the water and rescued three fishermen who were floating in a raft, their boat in pieces all around them.
"The crew of the USS Hue City … when within approximately 1 mile of the last known position of the distress, reported seeing orange flares, flashing lights, and located a raft with three fishermen aboard surrounded by debris," the Coast Guard said in a release.
The incident occurred 63 miles off the coast of Georgia.
Sonar Technician (Surface) 3rd Class Nathan Andrade is the Naval ship's rescue swimmer, and he sprang into action when he was awoken as the Hué City sped to the scene.
"When I woke up to the call that someone needed to be rescued, I was just praying to God that everyone was safe," Andrade said in a release from the Navy. "Thanks to great teamwork from the boatswains mates and everyone else willing to help, we were able to save everyone and bring them on board safely."
The Hué City is based in Mayport, Florida.
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