Rescue at Sea 7: Welcome Aboard!

Captain Stephen F. Davis, Jr., Commanding Officer USS VELLA GULF (CG 72), welcomes the two Dutch mariners onboard a United States Warship. In this photo, clockwise from the lower left corner:

• Captain Stephen F. Davis, Jr., United States Navy, Commanding Officer USS VELLA GULF (CG 72)


• Master of sailboat One Crazy Bitch


• First Mate of sailboat One Crazy Bitch


• Senior Chief Hospital Corpsman (Surface Warfare) Glenn Balestino, United States Navy, Ship's Medic


• Ensign Greg Page, United States Navy, Boat Officer


• Chief Personnel Specialist Steve Fortner, United States Navy, Boat Chief


• Gunner's Mate Second Class Travis Smalley, United States Navy, Rescue Swimmer


• Lieutenant Commander Corey Keniston, United States Navy, Executive Officer USS VELLA GULF (CG 72)

The two Dutch gentlemen were treated for hypothermia, dehydration, and exhaustion by the ship's medic. They were then given a stateroom in officers' berthing and allowed to ride as far as Sweden. The OPREP-3 WHITE PINNACLE screamed across the network at FLASH precedence, bringing all other traffic to a stop to inform the President of the United States that a U.S. Warship had rescued the crew of One Crazy Bitch from the Atlantic Ocean. The sailors had no passports, as their documentation went to the bottom with their boat. The U.S. Embassy in Stockholm notified the Embassy of the Netherlands in Stockholm and made diplomatic arrangements for the gentlemen's return to Rotterdam, their original destination.

More than eight hours after sending their first MAYDAY call, the Atlantic Ocean lapped over the gunwale. One Crazy Bitch sank at 6:42 PM Atlantic Time, 4:42 U.S. Eastern Time, at position 36°59’N, 051°15’W. The boat had drifted more than 200 miles off the course of the Great Circle route from Boston to the English Channel, and went down 1,241 nautical miles east-southeast of New York, 846 nautical miles southeast of Halifax, 833 nautical miles northeast of Bermuda, and 2442 nautical miles west of the entrance to the English Channel. The boat sank in the Atlantic basin beneath 13,789 feet of water, 45 nautical miles north-northeast of the Neptune Seamounts.

The two Dutch mariners debarked the ship in Sweden and, with the diplomatic assistance of the United States and Sweden, returned to the Netherlands. They planned to purchase another boat and repeat their attempt at an Atlantic crossing. Ensign Page and Chief Fortner were each awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal for saving lives at sea. Lieutenant Commander Keniston was promoted to Commander and selected for Command at Sea. Lieutenant Powell was promoted to Lieutenant Commander in August 2006.

Captain Davis commanded USS VELLA GULF (CG 72) until August 2007, completing another deployment to the Middle East before reporting to a prestigious position in the Pentagon. He passed away suddenly and unexpectedly in February 2008.

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