Jan. 10 (UPI) — The U.S. military says that a crew of American sailors who were on a mission in the Gulf of Oman last month rescued a group of mariners after they ran into trouble on the high seas.
Military officials reported the Dec. 15 encounter last month, but identified the rescue ship as the USS Sirocco on Sunday. The Sirocco was based on the USS Lewis B. Puller.
U.S. officials said the troubled mariners were a group of five Iranian nationals who’d been smuggling illegal drugs when an explosion occurred on their boat.
Two of the injured mariners were flown to Oman for medical help. One is still missing and presumed dead.
“The entire crew, both military and civilian mariners, stepped up to perform incredibly that day,” Navy Capt. Richard G. Burgess, the commander of the Puller, said in a statement.
“Our team did not waiver for a moment, and acted with professionalism and compassion to save lives.”
The U.S. Navy says before the blast, the mariners had been seen pouring containers of liquid onto the boat’s forward deck.
Authorities later confiscated about $15 million worth of drugs from the Iranians’ boat, including hashish, methamphetamine and heroin.
Officials said the Sirocco was performing anti-narcotics activity when they made the rescue.