Navy: Carrier rescues Iranian fishermen - Navy News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Navy Times

Navy: Carrier rescues Iranian fishermen

MANAMA, Bahrain — The U.S. Navy says eight Iranian fishermen have been rescued by an American aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea and have been transferred to an Iranian ship.

The Fifth Fleet says the fishermen’s boat had caught fire on Wednesday.

The Harry S. Truman spotted the burning vessel and found the Iranians floating in a raft nearby. The carrier dispatched two helicopters to rescue the men, brought them on board and gave them medical attention and dry clothing.

Lt. Walter Matthews, a spokesman for the Bahrain-based Fifth Fleet, says the fishermen are in “good condition” and were transferred to an Iranian navy vessel on Friday.

The carrier is on a routine mission in the Arabian Sea, which part of the Indian Ocean.