Nine rescued from sinking ship off Somalia, six others missing: US Navy

WASHINGTON (AFP) Jun 25, 2003
A German navy supply ship on Wednesday rescued nine seamen who abandoned a sinking ship off the coast of Somalia, but six other crew members were missing, the US Navy said Wednesday.

The seamen were plucked from the Panamanian flagged Abel I's only life raft by a Sea King helicopter from the supply ship FGS Frankfurt, the Bahrain-based US Fifth Fleet said in a statement.

"Crewmembers of the Panama Able I reported that six crewmember are still missing," it said. "The Able I is listing 60 degrees to its port side and it will most likely sink by nightfall in the 12 to 15 foot seas."

A second Sea King helicopter and two US Navy P-3 reconnaissance aircraft were searching for the missing seamen, the fleet said.

WAR.WIRE