Coast Guard Desperately Trying to Get Cargo Ship Crew to Hospital
BALTIMORE (WJZ)-- A ship sailing from Baltimore was rocked by an explosion off shore and killed two crew members and injured two. The ship is desperately trying to get to land.
This is a matter of hurry up and wait. The 623-foot international cargo ship, "the Tamar," is out of range for U.S. rescuers and international rescuers and is desperately trying to get the injured crew members to a hospital.
"This ship had left Baltimore and was going fine until they had that explosion," said petty officer Nicole Groll of the Coast Guard.
It was in route from a Coal Terminal in Baltimore to Portugal, when 1300 miles off the U.S. coast, an explosion rocked the forward storeroom.
One crew member was killed, another died Monday night after suffering massive burns and two others are still critically hurt as the ship races east to the closest hospital.
"This is a very long transit on all accounts, to provide help as well as to get the crew to safety," Groll said.
Groll said generally the Coast Guard would send a helicopter to bring the crew back to shore but the distance is a huge obstacle, making the ship unreachable for both U.S. and Portuguese rescuers.
Pararescuers from the New York Air National Guard were able to reach to the crew 14 hours after the captain radioed for help, like in a 2012 training video, but using a search and rescue plane and then two small boats.
They will stay on board until the ship reaches waters close enough for the Portuguese Coast Guard to send a helicopter.
"Our condolences go out to the families and members of the crew who have passed and are injured. We're doing the best we can to make sure that they get to a hospital and receive the best medical care," Groll said.
The Coast Guard said now perfect weather conditions need to come into play, but the ship should be within rescue range Tuesday evening.
Crew members still do not know what caused the explosion.
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