“I’m grateful for their service to our country. They saved our lives,” said Appel, one of the women rescued from the stranded vessel.
Two women stranded at sea for five months were rescued by the U.S. Navy on October 25 near Japan.
The women, identified as Jennifer Appel and Tasha Fuiava of Hawaii, left the island of Oahu on May 3 en route to Tahiti with their two dogs. When rescued, they told officials that they had suffered damage to the mast early in their trip and an engine casualty on May 30 but attempted to continue their journey using sail power.
The women were rescued by the USS Ashland (LSD-48), a dock landing ship based in Sasebo, Japan.
“The U.S. Navy is postured to assist any distressed mariner of any nationality during any type of situation,” said the Ashland’s Commanding Officer, Commander Steven Wasson in a statement released by the Navy.
The stranded vessel, the Sea Nymph, was spotted by a Taiwanese fishing vessel on October 24, who contacted the US Coast Guard based in Guam. The Ashland was then dispatched and arrived at the vessel on October 25. The Ashland was conducting routine operations during a deployment in nearby waters.
In a statement issued by the Navy, the Ashland said that they assessed the sailboat as “unseaworthy” and brought the women and their dogs onboard. The women were seen by the ship’s medical team and provided with food and berthing on the ship.
“I’m grateful for their service to our country. They saved our lives,” said Appel, one of the women rescued from the stranded vessel. The relief of seeing help arrive is plain on their faces in the video of the rescue released by the Navy.
The women reportedly survived almost five months between their engine casualty and rescue by using water purifiers and food they had onboard their boat. They packed enough food to last a year, in case they encountered an emergency during their 18-day planned voyage. Appel and Fuiava credit veteran mariners in Honolulu with giving them the advice that would come to save their lives.
“They said pack every square inch of your boat with food, and if you think you need a month, pack six months, because you have no idea what could possibly happen out there,” Appel told reporters.
The situation leading to their emergency has since come under review from the US Coast Guard and other officials. When interviewed, the women told the Coast Guard that they had a functional emergency beacon onboard but never activated it.
The beacon, an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB), is a standard safety item for mariners. It activates when in water, such as in a capsize or collision, as well as manually.
The Coast Guard stated that when asked why the EPIRB was not activated, Appel said that they did not feel that they were in distress. However, in a statement made to NBC News, she said that she “honestly believed we were going to die within the next 24 hours” if not rescued.
“We knew we weren’t going to make it,” Appel told reporters of returning to Oahu when they realized they were in trouble. “So that’s when we started making distress calls.” The two women said that they made daily distress calls while stranded but were unable to make contact with any ships nearby.
Other forms of communication were also available to communicate that they were in trouble. The women reported that six forms of communication were not functioning, a coincidence that some find unlikely.
“We knew we weren’t going to make it,” Appel told reporters of returning to Oahu when they realized they were in trouble. “So that’s when we started making distress calls.”
The situation has received increased scrutiny as details surrounding the emergency and their preparedness surface.
The Ashland arrived in Japan with Appel, Fuiava and their two dogs on October 30. The Sea Nymph, deemed unseaworthy, was left to continue drifting in the ocean.
