Sabans flock to open day at 'Pelikaan' and 'Poema'

October 20, 2015 News

Following another successful disaster simulation rescue Saturday morning, where victims were evacuated to HMLNS Pelikaan by the Royal Dutch Marines and then taken for an entertaining cruise around Saba, the Navy ship and Coast Guard vessel Poema held an open day for the general public at Saba’s Fort Bay on Saturday afternoon.

Royal Marines sailing out of Saba’s Fort Bay harbour for a drug-bust simulation.

Visitors were treated to activities, such as camouflage face painting and demonstrations, including static displays of some of the weapons used by the Royal Dutch Marines, Royal Netherlands Navy and the Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard.

Visitors enjoyed tours of the ships and watched realistic simulations of a drug bust by the Royal Dutch Marines with a simulated firefight between the Marines’ six-metre high-speed Rigid-Hulled Inflatable Boat (RHIB) carrying troops armed with a 7.62 by 51 millimeter General- Purpose Machine Gun FN GPMG and the drug smugglers on land armed with various weapons. After a brief shootout the Marines successfully apprehended the drug criminals.

Children enjoying the weaponry on display.

Open day visitors touring the bridge of “HMLNS Pelikaan.”

A large crowd thoroughly enjoyed the day’s events which culminated in a barbeque for the Navy, Marines, Coast Guard and volunteers at Princess Juliana sports field in The Bottom. HMLNS Pelikaan left Saba on Sunday morning to return to her home port of Curaçao.

The Daily Herald.