Endurance rescues sailor in distress near South Carolina
Stranded sailor Marvin Marramore coming aboard the M/V Endurance, being aided by Bosun Moussa Hamdy and Chief Mate Leif Elliassen speaking on the radio.
The M/V Endurance rescued a distressed sailor at sea off the coast of Charleston, South Carolina on June 15.
According to Endurance crewmember accounts, at around 9 a.m. the vessel received a MAYDAY distress call from a 30-foot sailboat, the Black Pearl, the captain of which relayed that he was taking on water and the sailboat's bilge pump had stopped working.
The Endurance watch team quickly answered the hail and plotted the sailing vessel's position at 12 nautical miles due south of their position. They immediately notified the master, Captain Glenn Koshak. The captain of the Black Pearl, Marvin Parramore, reported that he had been taking on water for over 24 hours and water was coming in at an estimated rate of 1.5 gallons per minute.
Parramore had been stranded for days and had fashioned a makeshift antenna for his VHF radio to send out the emergency signal, Captain Koshak said. Parramore was on a solo voyage to Key West before he started suffering complications, but had no emergency handheld radio, and the Endurance received his second desperation MAYDAY attempt.
"I'd say he was pretty fortunate we were in the area and we heard him," Captain Koshak said.
After altering course to intercept the floundering sailboat, the Endurance relayed the Black Pearl's information to the U.S. Coast Guard.
The distressed sailboat was spotted through the binoculars by the AB on watch at about nine nautical miles distance. Chief Mate Leif Eliassen, the bosun, and deck crew were readying the starboard pilot ladder and marshalling emergency equipment at the starboard pilot door. The engine crew readied the ship's generators to use the bow thruster for maneuvering.
Captain Koshak positioned the Endurance around the sailboat to safely evacuate Parramore in choppy sea conditions and a wind blowing at 15 to 20 knots.
Once the Endurance had come to a stop and the Black Pearl was positioned near the starboard pilot ladder, Parramore abandoned his sinking craft and boarded his dinghy. Exhausted, he paddled the small, inflatable raft the 20 meters to the pilot ladder and boarded the Endurance.
The crew immediately provided blankets and dry clothes for the rescued sailor. He was checked over by the ship's medical officer and vitals relayed to the USCG. Parramore was in stable condition, but he had suffered a swollen elbow and a bruise on his side. The steward department provided food and fluids for the dehydrated sailor.
"My crew deserves all the credit. They acted swiftly, and professionally," Captain Koshak said. "They dropped everything they were doing and focused on saving this guy from the minute we received the mayday over the VHF."
Endurance headed back towards Charleston and rendezvoused with the Coast Guard Cutter Yellowfin four hours later to transfer the sailor.
Other AMO members aboard the Endurance during the rescue included Second Mate Brian Roche, Third Mates Lucan Shanahan and Ronin B. Rockwell-Moore, Chief Engineer Kyle Connolly, First Assistant Engineer Gabriel Shubert, Second A.E. Kyle Peterson and Third A.E. Patrick Hickey.
The Endurance is operated for American Roll-On Roll-Off Carrier by TOTE Services and is manned in all licensed positions by American Maritime Officers. The Seafarers International Union represents the unlicensed crew.
Bosun Moussa Hamdy and Third Mate Lucan Shanahan pose with sailor Marvin Parramore, who they rescued and brought aboard the M/V Endurance off the coast of South Carolina in June.
Stranded sailor Marvin Parramore signals to the deck crew of the M/V Endurance for assistance off the coast of South Carolina.
