Coast Guard Coordinates Rescue of 27 From Burning Ecuadorian Vessel

The U.S. Coast Guard coordinated the rescue of all 27 crewmembers from the Ecuadorian-flagged fishing vessel Drennec after it caught fire more than 500 miles southwest of the Galapagos Islands on 20 Aug 2026. Coast Guard Southwest District watchstanders received multiple distress alerts around 8 p.m. that evening, including an emergency beacon signal and an Iridium alert from a Garmin inReach device aboard the vessel. Coast Guard personnel established contact with Garmin Response, which confirmed the Drennec had caught fire and that all 27 crewmembers had abandoned ship into a life raft. Watchstanders used the Automated Mutual-Assistance Vessel Rescue System to alert nearby ships and request assistance. Two good Samaritan vessels, the container ship Oluf Maersk and the fishing vessel Ricky A, diverted to the scene. Ricky A recovered all 27 mariners from the life raft, while Oluf Maersk remained on site to provide support. By 10:15 a.m. on 21 Aug 2026, the entire Drennec crew was confirmed safely aboard Ricky A, which is transporting them to Guayaquil, Ecuador. Search and Rescue Mission Coordinator Doug Samp said the operation, completed within 11 hours of the initial distress alert in a remote stretch of the Pacific Ocean, demonstrated the effectiveness of the Global Search and Rescue System. Samp credited the crew's emergency equipment and coordination among the U.S. Coast Guard, the Maritime Rescue Coordination Center Ecuador, and the responding good Samaritan vessels for the rapid outcome.