Prince William Heroes Up, Rescues Shipwrecked Russians at Sea

Royal helped answer a mayday call after seamen got into some serious trouble when their vessel went down in the Irish Sea

By Brandi Fowler Nov 27, 2011 6:31 PMTags
Prince William, Duke of CambridgeJOHN STILLWELL/AFP/Getty Images

Just call him Prince Charming.

Prince William, who serves as a flight lieutenant in the Royal Air Force, helped rescue a couple of Russian seamen after their cargo vessel sank in the Irish Sea Sunday morning, according to BBC News.

So what happened?

The rescue began after William's helicopter crew, which he co-piloted, responded to a mayday call that went out around 2 a.m., when the Russian vessel's hull cracked due to inclement weather.

The team was able to save two men early Sunday morning from the chilly waters, and have been on the hunt for the remaining crew members--five of whom are still missing (the body of one of the crewmembers has already been recovered).

Rescue efforts are still underway, but Jim Green, a Coast Guard spokesman said, "We know that at least some of them are wearing immersion suits and have strobe lighting with them. However, sea conditions are challenging at best."

In addition to strong winds in the region, temperatures at sea are said to be a chilly 57 degrees.

We wish them the best in their efforts.