[CW] 40 Years Ago Tonight, SOS SOS SOS CQ CQ CQ DE PJTA PJTA PJTA =

[D.J.J. Ring, Jr.]

40 Years Ago Tonight, I was woken up by autoalarm bells from the SOS of the
burning luxury liner MS PRINSENDAM / PJTA as my ship was sailing southward
from Valdez, Alaska on Prince William Sound. When the burning ship lost
main and emergency generators, their radio officer told me to take over and
I sent out three additional DDD SOS DDD (MAYDAY RELAY) calls. According to
FCC Washington, over 350 ship logs were received, according to RCA San
Francisco / KPH senior operator, Hansen who copied my handing of the SOS in
Morse, he'd been there for 35 years and never heard a fiber job of
communications. I believe this rescue where all 535 passengers and crew who
were all rescued safely without even one death from lifeboats were greatly
helped by the International cooperation involved: The United States Coast
Guard, United States Air Force who supplied two rescue swimmers as at that
time USCG didn't have that speciality, Canadian Armed Forces who supplied
massive long trade helicopters able to fly 300 miles out to sea, engage in
hours of rescue work by lifting survivors out of lifeboats one at a time
and dropping them on my ship, the SOHIO INTREPID and USCG cutters Mellon,
Woodrush and Boutwell, United States Merchant Marine and foreign Merchant
Navies, including the men and women on Ocean Station PAPA / 4YP (manned by
Canadian Coast Guard. US Air Force also sent a flight surgeon (physician.)
Because the distress was handled on long range 500 kHz radiotelegraphy,
communication with Rescue Coordination Center Juneau, Alaska was
instantaneous, because sitting at RCC was a USCG radioman who simply tuned
in 500 kHz and copied the Morse beating the interoffice teleprinter
circuits by 5 minutes. The City of Sitka, Alaska sent two paramedics.
Automated Mutual-Assistance Vessel Rescue System on Governor's Island, New
York City sent SURPICS telling us what ships were in the area. Such
beautiful cooperation! Morse XXX and SOS recordings, radio logbooks from
WILLIAMSBURGH and EXXON NEW ORLEANS / WNDM whose Radio Officer, Richard
Singer provided his excellent assistance as did Radio Officer, Carl
Williams on SOHIO INTREPID. Hundreds of people were involved in what has
been called "The Greatest Air-Sea Rescue in history. See The Internet
Archive for more https://archive.org/details/SosMsPrinsendamOctober41980
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