Sometimes, Help Comes from Unexpected Places
In June 2014, five civilians were enjoying a little cruise in their 11-meter boat in the White Sea when they realized a storm was catching up to them.
They tried to outrun the storm, only to find out they were running dangerously low on diesel. They decided to transmit an SOS and their distress signal was received by the authorities at the port of Arkhangelsk, which immediately dispatched two ships and one helicopter to rescue the little boat.
Rescue Efforts Underway
But the first to arrive on site was the Oscar class Cruise Missile Submarine K-119 “Voronezh”!
All ships, upon receiving a valid distress signal, are legally obligated by international law and custom to render any assistance reasonable and practicable to vessels in distress.
A Submarine to the Rescue
The sub captain decided to take the civilians on board as the weather was getting nasty.
The Voronezh attempted to tow the tiny boat back to port, but the storm intensified, and the civilian ship was eventually lost. The five civilians were brought back to land safely, with a great story to tell the grandkids!
-RBM
