Archive image: SAN JOSE, California. — A Coast Guard HC-130 Hercules aircraft, from Air Station Sacramento, starts its propellers as it sits on a San Jose International Airport tarmac.
U.S. Coast Guard photo by Chief Petty Officer Levi Read.
SAN FRANCISCO — The Coast Guard coordinated the rescue of 27 fishermen after their Venezuelan-flagged fishing vessel caught fire approximately 500 nautical miles north-northwest of the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador. Saturday, January 31, 2026.
At approximately 3:30 a.m. Pacific Standard Time, Sunday, the motor vessel Seaways Kenosha arrived on scene and safely recovered all 27 people from the lifeboat.
There were no reported injuries or medical concerns at the time of recovery. A previously reported injury was assessed as non-life-threatening.
At 3:51 p.m. PST, Saturday, Rescue Coordination Center Alameda received a notification from the Garmin Search and Rescue Command Center of an SOS distress alert from the 240-foot fishing vessel La Pena.
Using a crewmember’s satellite messaging device, Coast Guard watchstanders established communications with the crew and confirmed the vessel had caught fire and sank. All 27 fishermen evacuated to the vessel’s emergency lifeboat.
The crew reported they had no life jackets, food or water aboard the lifeboat. Their only means of communication was the satellite device, which had approximately 37 percent battery life remaining, or about 12 hours of use. The survivors were placed on a 90-minute communication schedule to provide position updates, answer questions and then power off the device to conserve battery.
Rescue Coordination Center Alameda issued SafetyNet and SafetyCAST broadcasts to alert nearby mariners and request assistance. There were no Coast Guard surface or air assets in the immediate vicinity.
An Automated Mutual-Assistance Vessel Rescue System (AMVER) system query identified two vessels within 115 miles and 13 vessels within 575 nautical miles of the distress position. Coast Guard watchstanders contacted the vessels and received a response from the motor vessel Seaways Kenosha, an AMVER-participating vessel located approximately 100 nautical miles from the survivors, offering to assist. Coast Guard Southwest District watchstanders began coordinating the Seaways Kenosha’s response to rescue the survivors.
The Coast Guard’s National Command Center continues to monitor the situation. Plans to transfer the survivors to shore are currently being coordinated.
“The outcome of this case is a direct result of the vigilance and professionalism of our watchstanders, who quickly pieced together limited information, coordinated with multiple domestic and international partners and directed nearby vessels to the scene,” said Capt. Patrick Dill, chief of incident management, Coast Guard Southwest District. “Their actions, together with the rapid response of motor vessel Seaways Kenosha, helped ensure 27 mariners were brought to safety from a life-threatening situation in a remote area of the Pacific Ocean.”
The weather on scene was reported as 5-foot seas and 10-knot winds.
Following the successful rescue, a planned HC-130J Super Hercules aircraft aircrew deployment from Coast Guard Air Station Sacramento to deliver supplies to the mariners was stood down.
The AMVER system is a worldwide, voluntary ship reporting system sponsored by the U.S. Coast Guard that assists in search and rescue (SAR) by identifying participating ships in the vicinity of a distress.
–USCG–
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