ANCHORAGE, AK -- November 19, 1996 -- Alyeska Pipeline Service Company reported today that the Constitution Service, a response vessel for Alyeska’s oil spill response organization, rescued three fishermen after their boat caught fire on Friday, November 15. At approximately 4:00 p.m. on Friday, the U.S. Coast Guard called Alyeska’s Ship Escort Response Vessel System (SERVS) and asked them to respond immediately to a ship in distress call at Bear Cape. The Constitution Service is stationed nearby at Port Etches in Prince William Sound and responded to the call. The fishermen abandoned ship into an inflatable boat and were on-shore when the Constitution Service arrived. By 5:00 p.m. all three fishermen were on board the Constitution Service. They spent the night on board and were picked up by plane the next morning.

The Constitution Service is owned and operated by Tidewater Marine Alaska and is one of five Escort Response Vessels (ERVs) in the SERVS fleet. The Constitution Service is stationed at Port Etches along with an oil spill response barge.