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C Champion continues assistance in rescue operation for grounded minesweeper

Small boats continued to be used to transfer personnel between the grounded minesweeper USS "Guardian" and the Military Sealift Command ships "Bowditch" and "C-Champion" on Jan 19 as the U.S. Navy continued operations to free the grounded vessel from Tubbataha Reef. Meanwhile all 79 crew members were temporarily removed and safely transferred by small boat to the nearby support vessels USNS "Bowditch (T-AGS 62)" and the "C-Champion". Seventh Fleet ships remained on scene and essential "Guardian" Sailors continued conducting survey operations onboard the ship as needed until she is recovered. Several support vessels have arrived and all steps were being taken to minimize environmental effects while ensuring the crew's continued safety. Initial efforts to free the ship on high tide were not successful. The ship remains stuck on the reef, approximately 80 miles east-southeast of Palawan Island. The tug "Trabajador" left the Subic port on Jan 17 and was already en route to the Sulu Sea to assess the damage to the "Guardian" and was expected on Scene on Jan 20. The engineers on board would then immediately evaluate the situation. A US Navy ship may also arrived in Puerto Princesa City on Sunday to support the evaluation process and the US Navy Seventh Fleet, based in Okinawa, Japan, has sent two support vessels to ferry out the crew. Report with photo: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10860236

C Champion saves crew of grounded US minesweeper

72 0f 79 US sailors have abandoned the ill-fated USS "Guardian", and left their listing warship following the arrival of a US-chartered "C-Champion" at about 10 a.m. on Jan 18, 2013. The minesweeper ran aground in Tubbataha Reef in Palawan province on Jan 17 at 2 a.m. The decision to abandon ship apparently came after it was already established that the USS "Guardian" was beyond recovery as it incurred major damage and that it could sink anytime. Several Philippine Navy gunboats and patrol ships from the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) have been deployed in the area. The minesweeper was sailing to Palawan after its port call at Subic Bay on Jan 13 when it ran around on the reef, some 90 nautical miles from Puerto Princesa City. The US warship remains stuck on the reef, and the damage to the fragile corals of the section of the Tubbataha Reef has worsened with two-thirds of the 68-meter long ship sitting on the protected marine area. Report with photo: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5huh-zq_8-Q3jIUBK53uf2P_2-w6g?docId=CNG.e03423201860fdf16f192b206d60187d.f1