Aircraft Carrier Assists Sinking Tug

A U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier went to the rescue of a sinking tugboat off the Florida coast, dispatching a repair team that helped pump seven ft. of water from the vessel's hull, the U.S. Military's Southern Command said. It was the second rescue by a U.S. aircraft carrier off Florida's Atlantic coast in three weeks. USS John F. Kennedy rescued eight crewmen of a sinking tug from the Atlantic Ocean in mid-September. USS George Washington responded to a distress call from Norfolk, Virginia-based Coastal Sun, which was taking on water as it towed a barge to Jacksonville, Fla. Two damage control specialists from the carrier were lowered from a helicopter onto the tug's pitching deck along with a submersible pump. They worked through the night to stabilize the boat, which was listing at 10-15 degrees and in danger of sinking, SouthCom said. As the crew worked, George Washington escorted the tug closer to shore and it eventually pulled into Jacksonville for repairs, officials said.