Amira-Maryana

The Coast Guard and U.S. Navy prepared for a medical evacuation of an injured crewmember from the "Sikyon" near Saipan on Jan 29, 2012. The master of the vessel had contacted Coast Guard Sector Guam on Jan 28 requesting a medical evacuation for a 57-year-old crewmember. The crewmember reportedly fell aboard the vessel and two days later began to develop other complications. The vessel was on a voyage to Taiwan from Tacoma and was more than 690 miles from Guam making an immediate evacuation by air difficult. The "Sikyon" has set a course to Saipan where a Navy aircrew from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 25, based out of Andersen Air Force Base, waited for the ship to come within range for the evacuation. HSC-25 sent a helicopter to Saipan International Airport in preparation to launch on Jan 29 afternoon for the evacuation. By approaching Saipan the transit time for the helicopter could be reduced so they have enough fuel to hoist the injured crew member and fly back to Guam.

While transiting the Gulf of Aden on 04-FEB-2011 in a convoy led by a Chinese Naval Vessel, the SIKYON was approached twice by pirates in two skiffs while underway in position 12 19 N, 043 47 E. On the second approach, the 2 skiffs came within 1nm of the SIKYON. A Chinese helicopter fired warning shots at the two skiffs forcing them to abandon their efforts to further approach or attack the SIKYON.