The U.S. Coast Guard sponsored AMVER is used worldwide as a voluntary ship reporting system by rescue and search authorities. It helps coordinate rescue efforts to people stranded in sea. This very system proved to be the life-saver for five men who went missing on 8th July 2015 (Wednesday) after they left for a fishing trip off Kiribati in a 14-foot aluminum skiff. The skiff had no engines and the men carried no lifesaving equipment and little food.
Based on the missing report, the USCG air crew from Barbers spotted the men on Friday on the skiff. Food water, VHF radios and a Personal Location Beacon, signal mirrors and flares were air dropped to the stranded men.
Panama flagged bulk carrier MV Shourong Harmony, which is affiliated to the AMVER rescue system, was requested to assist the missing men in the skiff. On Sunday 1:50 pm MV Shourong Harmony rescued the men from the skiff found to be drifting 184 miles east northeast of Teraina Island, Kiribati, located in the Central Pacific more than 1,300 miles from Hawaii. The rescued crew will be handed over to another vessel that will take them back to Kiribati. The USCG reported that the distance from Honolulu to where the men were rescued is about 1,087 miles.
