HAL’s Veendam Rescues Pilot

On Jan. 25, while en route to Lahaina, Hawaii, Holland America Line’s (HAL) Veendam answered a request for assistance from the United States Coast Guard to rescue a pilot who had ditched his single-engine Cirrus SR-22 after he experienced a mechanical issue with the fuel system.

The pilot was located approximately 225 nautical miles off the coast of Maui, Hawaii.

In partnership with the U.S. Coast Guard, Veendam was able to successfully rescue the pilot, who deployed the aircraft’s airframe parachute system and safely exited the plane into a life raft. HAL crew members brought him aboard Veendam and provided him with food and accommodations. The pilot, who was in good condition, disembarked yesterday (Jan. 26) at Lahaina.

This is the third rescue at sea by a Holland America Line ship in 2015. On Jan. 3, Zuiderdam rescued eight crew members from a sinking vessel in the Caribbean, and Jan. 4 Zaandam came to the aid of seven stranded crew members at the Arctowski Polish research station at King George Island in Antarctica.

(http://www.hollandamerica.com)