M/V Prinsendam rescue
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This image is copyrighted by the artist and all reproduction rights are held by the U. S. Coast Guard Academy Alumni Association. Reproduction or other use without the permission of both parties is strictly prohibited.
Theme M/V Prinsendam Rescue
Period 1976—1982
Artist Tony Falcone, Prospect, Connecticut
Size (framed) 7’-3” wide x 9’-0” high
Champion Len Pichini, Class of 1962
Sponsor Class of 1960
Story On 4 October 1980, the 427-foot Dutch cruise ship Prinsendam was enroute Singapore after calling at Ketchikan, Alaska. Soon after midnight, a fire occurred in the engine room due to an oil leak. The extinguishing systems on the vessel did not succeed in quenching the fire, which continued to spread. Responding to the master’s distress call, four Coast Guard HH-3F helicopters and two HC-130 aircraft were dispatched to the scene. The 378-foot cutters Boutwell and Mellon and the 180-foot buoy tender Woodrush were ordered to proceed at top speed to assist. A merchant supertanker in the vicinity, the fully laden Williamsburgh, was diverted to the burning ship. The master decided that the ship must be abandoned. At 5:15 AM the 319 passengers and most of the 205 crew members began their descent into 5-foot seas in lifeboats and rafts. The remnants of typhoon Vernon caused the weather on scene to deteriorate throughout the day to 25 to 35 foot seas, scattered showers, and 15 to 20 knot winds. The master and 50 volunteers remained on board Prinsendam to try to control the fire. Assisted by helicopters from Elmendorf Air Force Base and the Canadian Forces, the Coast Guard helicopters hoisted survivors from the lifeboats using rescue baskets, then transported them to the Williamsburgh. Williamsburgh proved indispensable both as a stable platform for helicopters and a refuge for hundreds of people lifted from lifeboats. Boutwell maneuvered alongside each lifeboat in turn and hauled out the occupants one at a time using a horsecollar tended by eight strong seaman. In twenty-four hours all 524 aboard the Prinsendam had been rescued safely. The fire continued for the next several days in deteriorating weather with Prinsendam assuming additional list and settling deeper in the water. Prinsendam sank 170 miles southeast of Sitka on October 11, 1980.