EVERETT – A Navy ship based in Everett is on its way to help with humanitarian relief efforts for victims of a massive earthquake and tsunami in American Samoa.
The USS Ingraham and its crew of about 200 were nearby as part of a deployment in the western Pacific Ocean when the magnitude 8.0 earthquake struck and generated 15- to 20-foot waves that hit the island territory and other islands.
The ship is expected to arrive in the next several hours, according to a Navy spokesman for U.S. Third Fleet, which oversees the western Pacific and Indian oceans.The Ingraham was previously scheduled to visit Pago Pago, the capital, on a routine port call.
Details of the Ingraham’s mission are still being determined as military and relief officials assess the situation. The ship serves as a launching platform for two SH-60 Seahawk helicopters and carries fresh water and medical supplies.
The Ingraham, an Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate, left Everett on Sept. 8.
Two other Everett-based ships, USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Shoup, were tapped for relief efforts after the devastating Indian Ocean tsunami in December 2004.
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