MANAMA, 16 August 2004 — Six Iranian sailors rescued by the US Navy early Saturday morning from a sinking Iranian cargo dhow have been repatriated in a mid-sea exchange.
A spokesman for the Fifth Fleet said the six sailors were picked up by an Iranian vessel from the aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy. They were rescued by the US navy ship after the Iranian-flagged dhow Naji was reported taking on water.
The distress signal was initially received by USS Mobile Bay, which was operating with Expeditionary Strike Group Three in the Arabian Gulf.
The message was relayed to the USS John F. Kennedy from the Mobile Bay because the vessel was more than 200 nautical miles away.
Kennedy dispatched two H-60 helicopters from HS-15 squadron to the scene at 6:40 a.m. Aircraft monitored the dhow and coordinated the rescue operations.
One of the rescued sailors reported a broken propeller shaft seal as the cause of the vessel taking on water.
Kennedy’s medical staff treated the Iranians, who were said to be in good health.
This was the second rescue operation conducted by the US Navy in the Gulf in a week. The USS Seattle rescued 12 sailors from a sinking Indonesian-flagged ship in the northern part of the Arabian Gulf on Aug. 8.
