September 27th, 2010
01:33 PM ET

13 drown, 8 missing after skiff getting Navy aid capsizes

A U.S. Navy boat works to rescue passengers from a capsized skiff in the Gulf of Aden.

Thirteen people drowned and eight are missing after a small skiff packed with more than seven dozen people capsized while getting aid from a U.S. Navy vessel in the Gulf of Aden, the U.S. military said Monday.

The skiff, packed with 75 Ethiopians and 10 Somalis, was spotted adrift in the gulf by a South Korean warship, which asked the guided missile destroyer USS Winston S. Churchill to provide assistance, according to a statement from the Combined Maritime Forces, which conducts anti-piracy patrols off the east coast of Africa.

The 9,500-ton, 513-foot long Churchill sent an inflatable boat to the aid of the skiff. After determining the skiff was without power, the inflatable towed it out of shipping lanes toward the Somali coast, the statement said.

At about 8:30 am local time Monday, U.S. sailors attempted to distribute fresh supplies to those aboard the skiff. As they did so, the Africans rushed to one side of the vessel, capsizing it, and sending all 85 passengers into the ocean.

Crews from the Churchill and an Australian patrol aircraft were able to rescue 61 of the skiff’s passengers. Thirteen drowned and eight were not found, the statement said.

The Navy was investigating the incident.

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Filed under: Africa • U.S. Navy
soundoff (224 Responses)
  1. DCLXVI

    At least we now know how to get rid of an overloaded boat full of jigs looking for a handout without wasting a torpedo. Just throw some food at them and watch them drown.

    September 28, 2010 at 12:02 pm | Report abuse |
  2. Citizen

    Dear Navy folks: Please don't bring these "people" to the U.S. or Europe. Thanks!

    September 28, 2010 at 12:35 pm | Report abuse |
  3. Kinta Kunta

    Sharks need to eat too!

    September 28, 2010 at 6:29 pm | Report abuse |
  4. Bill

    Sad, funny and ironic.

    September 29, 2010 at 9:33 am | Report abuse |
  5. Mememe

    I was worried when I saw that "thirteen people" had drowned, but then I realized they were talking about those mutated apes.

    I'm glad the Navy didn't waste any resources.

    September 29, 2010 at 2:33 pm | Report abuse |
  6. S Man

    Africans are uncivilized because they lack the most basic ingredient needed for a civilization to begin: master the food supply. Let them figure out how to do it themselves, even if it means their extinction. You whiny liberals complain about how the world is getting overpopulated and yet you do whatever you can to keep the lowest common denominator reproducing! Go ahead, call me racist to justify your constant war against reality.

    September 29, 2010 at 5:53 pm | Report abuse |
  7. Curtain Panels

    those polyurethane inflatable boats are very sturdy and some are kevlar lined too but they are expensive -`,

    December 2, 2010 at 6:56 am | Report abuse |
  8. news.blogs.cnn.com

    13 drown 8 missing after skiff getting navy aid capsizes.. Peachy 🙂

    April 21, 2011 at 8:10 am | Report abuse |
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