THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, March 23, 1996 TAG: 9603230337
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A13 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: Short : 30 lines
Two Norfolk-based warships en route to the Persian Gulf helped rescue the crew of a sinking Saudi merchant vessel Thursday, the Navy's 5th Fleet reported.
While exact details were sketchy, the Navy said ``most'' of the crew of the Saudi vessel Hofuf had been evacuated. There were no reports of injuries, the Navy said.
The cruiser San Jacinto and carrier George Washington were sailing through the Gulf of Oman to the Persian Gulf when, at 1:50 p.m. local time, the merchant vessel Hofuf radioed that it was taking on water and ``in urgent need of help.'' A helicopter from Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron 5 was dispatched from the Washington for an initial survey. By 2:10 p.m., the San Jacinto was alongside Hofuf, and U.S. sailors boarded Hofuf to help with damage control.
But within an hour, the Hofuf had taken on 20 feet of water and was in danger of sinking. At that point, the Navy said, Hofuf's master evacuated most of the ship's crew to lifeboats with the assistance of San Jacinto personnel. by CNB