A destroyer from the Netherlands and the command ship of Combined Task Force 150, came to the aid of a vessel in distress and rescued 27 people off the coast of Yemen March 21 while conducting maritime security operations in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in the area.  Check out these amazing photos.

While operating as a part of their MSO mission in the Gulf of Aden, De Zeven Provincien provided assistance to Motor Vessel Hyundai Fortune at approximately 11 a.m. local time.

Approximately 43 miles off the coast of Yemen, the cargo ship was in distress as the result of a large fire on board. The cause of the fire is not known at this time.

The De Zeven Provincien crew came to the aid of the cargo ship by rendering firefighting assistance, evacuating the burning ship’s crew and offering humanitarian aid and medical care once on board.

The fire could not be contained, so the master of the cargo ship gave orders to evacuate the ship.

The De Zeven Provincien commanding officer Capt. Maarten Stenvert said his crew performed the rescue in a “superb manner.”

“They were continuously aware what was going on and of the potential dangers that the Hyundai Fortune posed to them (explosion, falling containers, etc.),” said Stenvert.

The Hyundai Fortune’s crew is comprised of 27 personnel. One crew member sustained non-life-threatening injuries and has been evacuated to the French Navy aircraft carrier FS Charles De Gaulle (R 91) – which hosts the nearest surgical facility – by a Lynx helicopter from the French destroyer FS Montcalm (D 642) for further examination. CV Charles de Gaulle and FS Montcalm are part of coalition TF 473, which is led by French Rear Adm. Xavier Magne and is supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.