27 crew members rescued from burning fishing vessel off Ecuador

The US Coast Guard coordinated the rescue of 27 crew members from the Ecuadorian-flagged fishing vessel Drennec after it caught fire on August 20, 2026. The incident occurred approximately 527 miles southwest of the Galapagos Islands in the Pacific Ocean.

Following distress alerts from an emergency beacon and a Garmin inReach device, the crew abandoned ship into a liferaft. Using the Automated Mutual-Assistance Vessel Rescue (AMVER) system, the Coast Guard requested help from nearby commercial ships. Two vessels, the container ship Oluf Maersk and the fishing vessel Ricky A, diverted from their routes to assist.

The Ricky A successfully recovered all 27 mariners from the liferaft and transported them to Guayaquil, Ecuador. The Oluf Maersk remained on the scene to provide support during the operation.