Seaways-Kenosha Ship Details and Seafarer Feedback

In a remarkable maritime rescue operation, the US Coast Guard successfully coordinated the retrieval of 27 crew members from the Venezuelan-registered fishing vessel 'La Pena' (IMO: 8134651), which was engulfed in flames roughly 500 miles north-northwest of the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, on January 31, 2026. The Rescue Coordination Center (RCC) in Alameda received a distress signal at 3:51 p.m. PST from the Garmin SAR Command Center, alerting them to the dire situation aboard the 'La Pena'. Utilizing a crew member's satellite messaging device, Coast Guard officials were able to establish contact with the fishermen, who reported that their vessel had caught fire and subsequently sank, forcing them to abandon ship without life jackets, food, or water. The survivors could only communicate through their satellite device, which had approximately 37% battery life remaining, allowing for about 12 hours of use. To manage the dwindling power, the survivors were put on a system of updates every 90 minutes, sharing their location while conserving battery life. The RCC in Alameda quickly took action, issuing SafetyNet and SafetyCAST alerts to notify adjacent vessels and request immediate assistance. Unfortunately, no Coast Guard assets were in close proximity to the incident. However, an AMVER query revealed two ships within 115 miles and 13 additional vessels within 575 miles of the distress location. The Coast Guard contacted those nearby ships, and the freighter 'Seaways Kenosha', en route from Vancouver to La Pampilla, responded positively and was able to change course to assist in the rescue. On February 1, at approximately 3:30 a.m. PST, the 'Seaways Kenosha' arrived on the scene and successfully retrieved all 27 fishermen from their rescue boat. As the Coast Guard's National Command Center continued to oversee the operation, plans were set in motion to transfer the survivors to the mainland. At the time of the rescue, the weather conditions included 5-foot seas and winds reaching up to 10 knots. Following the successful recovery of the crew, a scheduled HC-130 mission from Air Station Sacramento to deliver supplies was canceled, reflecting the efficient handling of the emergency. For more details, you can view the official report and accompanying image at the US Coast Guard press release site.