Mounts Bay shares recent disaster relief experience in Barbados

Fresh from helping thousands of Bahamians in the aftermath of devastating Hurricane Dorian, RFA Mounts Bay has arrived in Barbados.

The support ship is spending five days in the Commonwealth nation, demonstrating what it and its team of sailors, soldiers and commandos can do in the event the island also falls victim to a major natural disaster.

She was among the first vessels on the scene when Dorian smashed its way through the Bahamas at the end of last month, focusing aid efforts in the badly-hit Abaca Islands.

Over the ten days she was helping locals on Operation Barytone, Mounts Bay delivered over 200 tons of aid including water, food, diesel fuel for generators, sanitary kits, shelter kits and basic medical supplies, distributed around nine communities on seven islands.

The effort in the Bahamas all but emptied the ship’s emergency relief stores, so after re-stocking at Port Everglades in Florida, she’s now ready to respond once more.

As well as the disaster relief element of their mission, the ship’s company will also discuss their role supporting the international fight against illegal drug trafficking in the Caribbean region and generally offering support and reassurance to Britons living in UK territories across the region.

“RFA Mounts Bay’s operational cargo – including plant machinery, troop-carrying vehicles, command and all-terrain vehicles, and disaster relief stores – together with her ability to operate boats from her dock makes her an excellent disaster-relief ship,” said Capt Robert Anders RFA.

While in Barbados, Capt Anders will be pay official calls on the Governor General and Chief of Staff, Barbados Defence Force, as well as organisations involved in national and regional disaster relief.