The two surviving crewmembers of the bulk carrier Tamar explosion were medevaced yesterday by a Portuguese aircrew along with three New York Air National Guard’s 106th Rescue Wing pararescuers to continue medical care.

The aircrew arrived in Terceira Island, Azores while a Portuguese Air Force jet waited along with a medical team to bring the injured to Lisbon, Portugal, for medical treatment.

The captain of the Marshall Islands-flagged 623-foot bulk carrier Tamar contacted watchstanders at the US Coast Guard command center reporting an explosion in the ship’s forward storeroom on April 24. The international bulk carrier was located 1,300 miles offshore Cape Cod at the time of the explosion.

The explosion killed one crewmember immediately and another later died of wounds. The two others suffered massive burns.

New York Air National Guard’s 106th Rescue Wing pararescuers arrived on board the Tamar on Monday, after deploying from their HC-130 with two small boats and advanced life-saving equipment. The Canadian Coast Guard has diverted two warships with physician assistants aboard.

The fire resulting from the explosion is extinguished and the cause is unknown.

The ship’s engineering plant was unaffected and the crew is continuing on their transit to the Azores, Portugal. Their last port of call was Baltimore.

The First Coast Guard District is responsible for 1,300 miles of offshore search and rescue area. After 1,300 miles, the Portuguese Coast Guard assumes coordination authority for cases east of the boundary.