On 5th April 2006, 24 crewmen of the Tuna Fishing vessel named ISABEL VICTORIA V were rescued thanks to a SATELLITE BUOY (TUNABAL model).

On Sunday 2th April, it was a strong storm in front of Peru shore. The M/V ISABEL VICTORIA V (Ecuatorian vessel) got sunk in a brief. No instruments or rescue equipments worked on board to transmit a SOS alert. Some of the crew members got on the tugboat, used to position the net for fishing, and some other jumped to the water holding on to anything they found as sticks, trunks... One of them, held on the "Satellite Buoy 101" of the vessel. This man reached the tugboat with the Buoy and they kept it for positioning.

On Wednesday 04th April, the Ship-Owner asked ZUNIBAL for some help in case something was possible to find them. This vessel had 4 Buoys, ZUNIBAL activated them, switched the flashes and worked join two vessels to find a good position. Three of the Buoys started to give position very close one to another so the M/V MARIA JOSE that was 5 hours far from there went to that position. Arriving there, it saw the flashes of 1 Buoy and found a lot of remains floating on the water (speedboats, life jackets, part of the vessel...) but nothing about the crewmen.

Another vessel (Spanish M/V GRANADIER) arrived there with an helicopter, it combed the place around but in that place were not people.

After studying carefully the situation, we saw 1 Buoy that on Sunday was with the rest of the Buoys but on Wednesday it was 96 nm far from there. Then the vessel with helicopter, of 14 knots speed went to the position of the Buoy, thanks to the "tracking information" and 6 hours later the 24 crewmen were found alive with the "Buoy 101".

The tugboat navigated with the engine very quickly to running away the storm, but when finish the oil they were navigating to drift. The 24 crewmen were 3 days without water or food. Some of them feeled faint but all of them were alive. Another vessel M/V CAPTAIN BERNEY arrived there to picked the 24 crewmen up and take them to the shore where they arrived one day later.

Now we have received information from Ecuador Ship-Owners saying that all the tugboats will have a ZUNIBAL Buoy screwed on, as a "rescue tool" and they say that "ZUNIBALs" are Buoys for Fishing and for Rescue.

Definitely this has been a strong emotional experience that want to share with you.

Sincerely,
ZUNIBAL