On May 27, the USCG and Caribbean CG collaborated on a SAR mission to identify and rescue 16 crew members of the product tanker CETUS as reported by Maritime Bulletin.
Distressed signal
The tanker sent out a distress signal, claiming that it had sunk due to engine failure and that the crew had abandoned the ship. CETUS was located 135 nautical miles north of Aruba, in the Caribbean. Patrol planes and adjacent cargo ships were dispatched, 14 crew members were recovered, and two were still unaccounted for. The tanker was on its route from the Dominican Republic’s Barahona to Venezuela, carrying a cargo of undetermined status, most likely in ballast. Oil was detected, although it’s unclear whether it’s cargo, bunker fuel, or oil dregs. Venezuelans, Dominicans, and Cubans make up the crew.
Tanker details
Product tanker CETUS, IMO 8108949, dwt 2346, built 1982, flag Comoros, manager INTERCARIBBEAN TANKERS SA, Dominican Republic.
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Source: Maritime Bulletin
