NationStates Jolt Archive

Somewhere in the Lingard Passage

Two HH-60 Jayhawks were orbiting a freighter, in distress in a large storm. They were getting close to bingo fuel and had managed to rescue much of the freighters crew. The Freighter was in International waters, at the futherest reach of the Jayhawk Choppers. They were just about to head back to Coast Guard Air Station Sentinel.
Inside the freighter a fire was buring and was moving ever closer to a fuel leak that lead to the main fuel tanks that were very full. Just as the Jayhawks were moving over the ship for the last time the Fuel egnited. The Freighter was ripped apart, debrist flew all over the place. A peice of metel struck one Jayhawk 'Protector 2' in the tail rotar. Protector 2 began to spin.

"Sentinel, Protector 2 is hit, repeat Protector 2 is hit!" Protector One said back to base.
"Protector 2, come in, come in Protector 2!" Sentinal Commander replied.
"Protector 2 here, we've been hit, we are going down, repeat Protector 2 is going down"
Seconds later Protector Two hit the water.
"We'vve got a Jayhawk Down, we got a Jayhawk Down.

Protector 1

"We've got to go back, search for survivours!" Protector Ones rescue swimmer demanded.
"Negative, we're on bingo as it is, we'll go back and refuel" The Pilot replied.
"But They'll die!"
"They've got life rafts aboard, they'll be fine"

The Next Morning

A Coast Guard Cutter, with three Jayhawks in formation abover, includeing her own, headed towards the crash site.

OOC: I hope you don't mind me joining, This was really only posted yesterday.

IC:
Tramp Freighter O'Brien
Picture of Tramp Freighter. (http://www.pollyarts.com/Images/jpgs/TrampSteam.jpg)

The Night before, as it had been in international waters, a Sutfien Tramp Freighter had been wallowing around in the water trying it's best to stay afloat and to not completely flounder. She had never been in enough trouble for the nessecity of a distress signal, but through the crashing waves Executive Officer Allens noticed a rather large firey explosion. Running inside they tried their best to get their meager radio gear working but by the time they could the Helicopter was gone.

During the night, the O'brien had done it's best to wallow thorugh the waves towards the relative area of the explosion and began firing flares out across the water to attempt to find survivors. The older ship, old design, everything seemed old about it... Would try to find the life rafts, and if it succeeded it would put out it's own boats to attempt to find and secure the survivors aboard the O'Brien. If everything worked out whatever survivors that could be pulled from the cold, raging water would find themselves onboard a small tramp freighter carrying a load of Grain and fruit. The most surprising of these things would probably be the fact that the O'Brien was crewed in fact by walking, talking canines.

Next Morning

(OOC: I am assuming the storm has ceased and it's smooth sailing. Correct me if I am wrong.)

The O'Brien was finally making headway, she was making a reasonable 8 to 10 Knots. The interesting thing was hte fact even on the top deck your feet shivered from the deep "Thump Throom" of the old steam engine. Massive coal plumes rose from the ship's single funnel.

Executive Officer Allens was up on one of the wings of the flying bridge with a pair of Binoculars when the lookout on the top of the foremast yelled down that helicopters were sited. Allens reported it to the captain, Patterson, before trying to scrounge up the survivors to hand back to the Coast Guardsmen who were most likely headed their way.

The O'Brien Began a shallow turn towards the Coast guard choppers and would probably be heading directly head-on towards the Cutters as well. As expected the massive plume of Coal smoke would indeed be the first thing seen of the Tramper.

Coat Guard Cutter Reliant

"Ship on the Horozion sir" A WSO officer reported.
"Identify" Captain Jenny Rorst ordered
"Unknown, appears to be coal powered, from the amount of smoke coming off her" The WSO officer commented "She is heading towards us"
"Alter course, to intercept, hail them"
"Channel ready"
"Unidentifed Ship, this is the coast guard cutter Reliant, we are looking for survirors from one of our Jayhawks that went down last night, have you seent hem?" Jenny asked

Tramp Freighter O'Brien

The poor Captain would get some hellish feedback for a brief second before it turned into just crackly... And then...

"This is the Tramp Freighter O'Brien, Operating under Sutufinai Flag. We saw your explosion there, and watched your chopper go down. We believe to the best of our ability that we infact do have all survivors that were in the water. I apologise sir, but we arn't the best swimmers." Stated Captain Patterson.

The tramper kept up steam, infact she seemed to increase it. Were one looking through Binoculars or a telescope at the rusty coal fired ship you could percieve sparks flying from her stack. Which meant her coalers were putting on more coal to heat up the boilers to put on more steam.

"Understood O'Brien, we're heading your way, prepare to have us come along side" Jenny commented "ETA, Ten Minutes"

Tramp Freighter O'Brien

The older looking freighter suddenly heaved to one side as a massive plume of fire belched out her funnel. After settling back down in the water she began to loose headway and her propellor obviously stopped moving as the foam ceased appearing behind the ship. There could be seen the canine like beings running about the ship's deck hurriedly. But no visible fire or some such.

The radio came on Haphazardly as Captain Patterson attempted to contact the Coast Guard vessels. "This is Captain Patterson of the O'Brien It seems our engine has thrown a rod and has damaged our boiler. We have two wounded crewmembers and are making no headway. Requesting assistance and possible tow. We have no fires aboard. I shouldn't have pushed her so hard, I havn't pushed her this hard in two years, atleast."

"Freighter O'Brien, message received, Jayhawks heading your way for CASEVAC" jenny said "Reliant will tow you to Port for refit"

Tramp Freighter O'Brien

The Freighter's crew could be seen scrambling about the deck to turn the cranes as to make a sufficiently open area for the basket to drop through. They also waited for a guyline to be dropped to guide the basket up and down. While the tramp freighter was big enough to not move as much on the water as smallerb oats, it's massive coal plant... Which was still giving off a meager and spark-ridden amount of smoke... put up a lot of heat and crazy up drafts.

The steamer wallowed there as two wounded canine beings were brought up, and one of the wounded Jayhawk crewmen were brought up. They, seemed stablized. Atleast, it was certain the Jayhawk crewman was stablized... But the Ship's Doctor (Technically the -cook-) was busy working on one of the Canines as he was prepared for lift, he seemed to have a amjor gash and possible break in one leg. The Other canine had a slight wound in the left upper arm, as well as a heavily bandaged stump here his right hand presumably was supposed to be.

The Two Jayhawks maintained station above the Freighter, efficiantly evacuateing the crew of the ship as the reliant approached of the bow.

(OOC: There is limited ways to get into this unless you release a news broadcast or send a message to nearby nations etc.)

OOC: Fair Enough, I'll put that there are still crew unaccounted for, that may still be alive in life rafts.

Special News Broadcast
Lingard News 24

This Morning the Federation Coast Guard reported that during a sea rescue in last nights storm, one of her HH-60 Jayhawks was downed and both crew and rescued personnel were listed as missing. They are beleived to have a chance of survival as the Jayhawk is equipped with emrgency life rafts. The Coast Guard requests that any ships in the area keep and eye out for survivors and contact the Coast Guad at the Earlist opportunity.