QE2 Rescues

[Lynda Bradford]

I have received an enquiry from a new member who is trying to locate details of a rescue that took place in June 1970 on a Transatlantic crossing from  New York, sailing to Southampton.  Based on passport information, QE2 left New York on 11/12 June 1970 and the rescue was a day or two after leaving New York. 

Her recollection is as follows:

The rescue I watched both from on deck and inside the ship, involved the sinking or damaging of a ship and the seamen/crew being rescued.  As I recall, the coast guard arrived at about the same time as we did and airlifted men in lifeboats from the water.  I actually have a picture of this portion of the rescue, and will attempt to locate it.  The one picture I have located is of crewmen in life jackets by a lifeboat on deck and passengers watching out to sea.  It was not dark and I do recall that it was late afternoon.  It was overcast but not foggy.
 
We were told aboard the ship that a Russian ship had hit a large fishing vessel or perhaps it was the fishing vessel itself that was Russian.

Does anyone have details of this rescue?

Flagship has already given me information on some other rescues that QE2 was involved in in 1970 but it is not thought to be any of these. 

26 June 1970: German motor vessel Zosmarr
27 July 1970: Trawler Heinrich Kern. QE2 diverted for medivac
29 October 1970: QE2 rendered assistance to Cerinthus

[Lynda Bradford]

We received this correspondence in our Admin mail box.  The person did not want to register for the Forum at the moment but wanted his memory posted. 

Thank-you for this input

I was on that voyage and was only 8 at the time.  I'm not sure if I can give any further details but here's what I remember.
There was a spotter plane in the area looking for these men.  It was a fishing vessel.  It was not involved in a collision with another.

We went somewhere around 100 to 200 miles off course to aid in the rescue.
Two lifeboats were being lowered when the helicopter from Canada arrived.
They did a flyby of the QE2 as a courtesy.

The captain was giving periodic updates on the loudspeaker.  I have been trying to locate the tape my family recorded from those announcements. (and the QE2 foghorn)

The poster said it was overcast but not foggy.  This is true at the time of the rescue, but leading up to it there was some fog.

[Isabelle Prondzynski]

A short video of the event has meanwhile been sent by our correspondent. I have uploaded it here :

https://www.flickr.com/photos/prondis_in_kenya/9269472258/

Very dramatic scenes!

[Bruce Nicholls]

Shows how long the Sea King helicopter has been in service.

[Lynda Bradford]

These posts show the value of the Forum in recording incidents that could have been forgotten. 

The video very clearly demonstrates what was being described by our member "Newbery" who had asked me to post her recollection and ask members if anyone knew any details of the incident. 

...and through the power of the internet and goggle searches the second contributor wrote to us with details and a clip of the video. 

I have let Newbery know about this contribution to the story so hopefully she will be able to tell us more and perhaps post her photos of the incident. 

[Lynda Bradford]

Newbery has sent me this link to Chronicle of Ocean Liners and Cruise ships that mentions QE2 going to the rescue of a fishing boat.

http://worldtimeline.info/cruiseship/ship1970.htm

Note: The link works but the article is not available.

[Lynda Bradford]

I was pleased to receive an email from Eric who had seen this topic when searching for information about QE2.  He was onboard QE2 on 26 June 1970 with his parents and remembers going on deck to see the rescue and an Officer taking time to explain what was happening. 

Thanks to Eric for sending us his memory of the incident. Here is a copy of his email

While looking for information on the QE2, I saw a post from Lynda Bradford about a 1970 QE2 rescue and it stirred a memory. I was on the QE2, with the 26 June sailing from New York to Southampton, and recall watching a rescue.
 
I recall my parents telling us that a rescue at sea was happening and we should see what was happening. They took us out (very late or very early as it was dark) to the deck near the Bow end of the ship where we could watch.
 
There were a series of ropes stretching out from the QE 2 to a much smaller boat – the big ones were taught and the smaller ones were loose. We were fortunate to be standing next to a crew member (an officer I think) near us. He saw us young children and started explaining what was going on. He was very good at describing what was happening and we were enthralled with his description! He had a radio with him and would sometimes communicate with the rescue activity.
 
Another boat had a medical emergency and needed to transfer one of their crew to the QE 2. He explained the transfer method and we watched as a stretcher was sent from the QE 2 to the other vessel where the person was loaded into the stretcher. It was then pulled along the rope bridge (I don’t recall the name the crew member used for the transfer method but it was an impressive technical name!) and the Ill/injured person was pulled into a door below us.
 
The connecting and transfer ropes were pulled back to the ships and the other vessel veered away.
 
I recall asking the officer why both boats did not just stop to make it easier and him explaining that the rescue was much safer if the ships were in control of the sea instead of sitting still when the sea would be in control of the ships. He kindly explained how ships under power could react to waves and currents and that if we were stopped, a wave could either easily snap every rope or force both ships to crash into each other.
 
It was an impressive thing to see!
 
All the best;
 
Eric

[Lynda Bradford]

.........Flagship has already given me information on some other rescues that QE2 was involved in in 1970 but it is not thought to be any of these. 

26 June 1970: German motor vessel Zosmarr
27 July 1970: Trawler Heinrich Kern. QE2 diverted for medivac
29 October 1970: QE2 rendered assistance to Cerinthus

On 29 October 1970 QE2 gave assistance to the Cerinthus.  Does anyone have any more information on this ship and the rescue?

[Michael Gallagher]

On 29 October 1970, while on passage from Las Palmas to Dakar, QE2 diverted from course at 1236 hours to render assistance to an engineer officer injured on the SS Cerinthus of the Hadley Shipping Company, London. The fifth engineer, David R G Senior, had suffered second-degree burns on his hands and face and was in critical need of expert medical assistance. QE2 reached the Cerinthus at 1332 hours and the lifeboat away by 1350, returning with the patient by 1422 hours, after which QE2 resumed full speed and the lucky man received the medical care his wounds required.