Blackstone naval officer helps rescue five in Pacific; Fire forces survivors to abandon yacht in mid-ocean.

Byline: Bonnie Russell

Navy Lt. j.g. Chad Morin of Blackstone, along with other crew members of the USS Halyburton, recently helped rescue five American citizens at sea after their yacht Dorothea caught fire.

Lt. Morin manned the rescue boat dispatched to help rescue the stranded boaters, who were forced to abandon their yacht when flames consumed the vessel.

"It was a humbling sight when we got to the scene, seeing the yacht engulfed in a ball of flames - something that I will never forget," Lt. j.g. Morin said.

The incident took place Oct. 25 in the eastern Pacific Ocean, while the ship was deployed for counter narcoterrorism , or CNT, work, according to information provided by the U.S. Navy

The Dorothea's crew had been at sea on a pleasure cruise in the eastern Pacific for two days of scuba diving.

The fire broke out in the exhaust stack of the Dorothea and quickly spread throughout the ship. Realizing the immediate danger, they were able to escape on a life raft and released two of their emergency locator beacons, which prompted the United States Coast Guard of their situation and location.

The Halyburton was informed of a distress signal by the U.S. Coast Guard in Alameda, Calif., late in the afternoon, as were other units in the area, including two patrol aircraft and a tuna boat, the Temcartoe. Halyburton arrived on scene within hours to provide assistance.

"The crew responded immediately to the possibility of helping someone stranded at sea. I was impressed by the immediate change in focus of the crew as they shifted from surveillance of potential drug smugglers in our CNT mission, to helping fellow mariners in danger," said Halyburton Command Officer Commander Scott Pratt.

Lt. Morin said that the rescue was a team effort and things went smoothly because everyone in the rescue boat - known as a Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat - had a distinct job, from the coxswain who steers the boat to the search-and-rescue swimmer.

"I was on the bridge as the officer of the deck when the ship was forwarded the distress call from a Maritime Patrol Asset operating in the area. Our captain, Cdr. Everett S. Pratt, ordered us to steam at max speed to render assistance," said Lt. Morin in a prepared statement.

"Over the next three hours, we were able to receive more information about the situation as it was rapidly developing. Due to the watch rotation, I was called upon to act as the boat officer for the search and rescue. As the boat officer, my job was to direct the rescue efforts from the RHIB and report to the ship so that they could have a clear picture of what was going on," Lt. j.g. Morin said.

"Once we had the order to put the RHIB into the water, it was more a reaction than anything else. The boat crew and I were told that the yacht, which belonged to a former ambassador, was on fire and the personnel had just been picked up by a local fishing vessel," Lt. j.g. Morin said.

Maritime patrol aircraft spotted the Temcartoe within 20 miles of the lifeboat and coordinated with them to make the initial rescue. Halyburton continued to press north at maximum speed and arrived on the scene just after sunset. Launching their rescue boat, crew members retrieved the stranded crew members and transferred them back to the Halyburton.

Once all five were safely onboard the ship, the Halyburton crew provided the rescued sailors with a hot shower, a meal, water and a medical checkup, which revealed only minor injuries. The ship later transported the rescued sailors to safety.

"We are grateful to everyone who helped us escape relatively unharmed," said John Crupi, who led the crew of the Dorothea.

Halyburton is operating in the eastern Pacific Ocean, assigned to U.S. Southern Command and supporting Joint Interagency Task Force (JIATF) South efforts to stem the flow of illegal drugs in the region.

Lt. Morin is a 2001 graduate of Blackstone-Millville Regional High School. He graduated in 2005 from The Citadel in Charleston, S.C., and was commissioned in the U.S. Navy.

He said he was pleased that he and his crewmates could help. "This is why we are out here," he said.

ART: PHOTO

CUTLINE: Crew members of the Dorothea were forced to abandon ship when the vessel caught fire. A Blackstone man helped the rescue efforts.

Lt. j.g. Morin

PHOTOG: COURTESY PHOTOS