| Twelve sailors were rescued by US naval forces from a sinking ship in the northern Arabian Gulf as the vessel went down late Sunday night. The sailors — who were not identified — were transported to the USS Seattle for treatment. According to sources, they were not seriously injured and were awaiting repatriation. A helicopter and a speedboat were dispatched to the Indonesian-flagged cargo ship, Edha II, from the USS Seattle after the US warship received a distress call at approximately 10:30 p.m. Sunday. According to a statement issued by the US Navy's 5th Fleet yesterday the master of Edha II signaled for help after the ship began taking on water. USS Seattle closed in and launched an SH-60S helicopter to locate the ship. US sailors rescued four crewmembers by helicopter from the deck and eight more from a life raft shortly before the merchant vessel sank. Neither the cause of Edha II's sinking nor the nature of the cargo it was carrying is known. |