Rescued Somalis in good health, but no word on return

The 52 severely dehydrated Somalis rescued Saturday by the U.S. Navy in the Gulf of Aden remained aboard the guided-missile cruiser USS Lake Champlain on Tuesday as officials tried to determine when and where they should be released.

The men, women and children, who had been stranded and adrift for about seven days before the rescue, were plucked from the Gulf of Aden between Somalia and Yemen, near the Somali city of Basasso, said Lt. Nathan Christensen, a spokesman for U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/5th Fleet.

"It has not been determined what their disposition is and what exactly will happen to them," Christensen said Tuesday.

The rescued Somalis included a woman believed to be nine months pregnant, he said. All currently are recuperating aboard the Lake Champlain and are in good condition.

Officials can take from a few days to upwards of a week to determine where and how to release the Somalis. Christensen did not know whether any might be seeking asylum, where their journey originated, where they were sailing or of any timeline in which the U.S. hopes to release them.

On Saturday, a crew of Lake Champlain’s SH-60B helicopter from Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Light 45, Detachment Four, spotted the motionless skiff loaded with people, some waving to get attention, Christensen said.

"Whenever a large number of people are spotting in a boat, it’s something worth looking into. We see it time and time again in the Gulf of Aden."

The skiff had experienced engine problems due to a bad fuel mixture, leaving it unable to operate at sea, according to a Navy press release.

Christensen declined to provide a breakdown of number of men, women and children, but said a majority of the 52 rescued Somalis were men.

"U.S. Naval forces have a long-standing tradition of helping mariners in distress," Capt. Kevin P. Campbell, Lake Champlain’s commanding officer, said in a statement. "It’s fortunate that our helicopter was flying over the right place at the right time. I’m glad we were able to be of assistance and rescue these men, women and children. Our Chief hospital corpsman stated that had we not found them at the time we did, the pregnant woman ... may not have survived."

The Lake Champlain, homeported in San Diego, is part of the USS Boxer Amphibious Ready Group and is operating as part of Task Force 51 in the area of Gulf of Aden and the Persian Gulf to provide maritime security.

Source: Stripes.com