Marshall Islands:Tycoon Saves Sailors - Yacht Lost
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| 'Marshall Islands - a difficult entry into Aur Atoll' . |
Reports Sunday afternoon from Aur Atoll, where the 40-foot yacht "Elsewhere" ran onto a reef while trying to enter the atoll, indicated that the yacht is a total loss.
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Vladimir Gusinksy, Marshall Islands benefactor, now rescuer as well - .. . |
While in Aur Atoll Saturday, the crew heard a distress call from the Elsewhere, and went to its rescue, according to officials in Majuro who are monitoring the rescue and attempt to salvage the yacht, which is grounded on a reef shelf.
The Blue Star crew rescued Elsewhere's American owners, cruisers Matt and Judy Johnston and their grandson Tyler, and then called for a rescue vessel to be sent from Majuro through their shipping agents Pacific International, Inc. (PII). The Johnstons are from Antioch, California.
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Marshall Islands Map - .. . |
The country's only government rescue vessel, Sea Patrol's "Lomor" patrol boat, left the Marshall Islands on Friday, destined for a $3.5 million, six-month overhaul in Townsville, Australia, and was unavailable.
The U.S. Coast Guard on Saturday alerted local law enforcement officials that it had picked up a distress signal through an EPIRB - an emergency signal used by most vessels that transmits precise location data on distress frequencies - in the vicitinity of Aur Atoll, which is about 90 miles north of Majuro.
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Aur and Maloelap atolls from satellite - the family was trying to enter Aur Atoll - .. . |
Gusinsky is also currently paying for full scholarships for four Rongelap Islanders to attend college in Israel. Gusinsky established the first independent TV channel in Russia RTVi, in 2001.
by Giff Johnson, Pacific Magazine/Sail-World
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