Lying helplessly adrift for over six hours, the Rosa Viana, skippered by Capt. Francisco Gomez and owned by Manuel Santos Viana of Rio, broke its propeller shaft ten hours after leaving Vitoria with ice for its catch. The fishing vessel, carrying a crew of 32, had no radio operator or radio equipment aboard, and no one who could read Morse blinker. So helpless she had to remain until aid could be summoned from a passing ship. Earlier in the day a British ship reportedly passed within visual range but did not stop.

At 7:15 P.M., the July 28, 1959, 2nd officer Sig Falch, on duty on the bridge of the Mormacelm, spotted red flares at 20 miles, 47 degrees off his port bow. Capt. Roos, was called to the con, immediately placed the vessel on standby and proceeded slowly towards the distress area. Chief officer Joe Davis, meanwhile, tried to establish blinker contact. He had no success. The Rosa Viana's only reply was repeated blinking with a flashlight. Radio operator Lou Bastone tried calling on the distress frequencies, 500 and 2182 Kcs. He too, received no reply. Capt. Roos came as close as he could, then stopped his vessel.

Lights appeared suddenly on the Rosa Viana and shortly after a 12-foot dory with three men aboard put out on the choppy waters. Rowing against the current and moderate easterly breeze, the dory tied up alongside the Mormacelm twenty minutes later. Chief engineer Manuel Cardosa Santos climbed aboard.

Chief officer Davis, the only one aboard who could speak fluent Portuguese, quickly learned the trouble with the Rosa Viana. He informed Capt. Roos who subsequently ordered him and 1st engineer Ralph Gervais to take a motor lifeboat over to the Rosa Viana and bring back Captain Gomez. Capt. Roos, after consultation with Captain Gomez, decided to stand by until daybreak. When no radio advice was forthcoming at that time he decided the next best thing was to tow the Rosa Viana into Vitoria himself. A contract agreement was signed by both masters and at 8:45 A.M. the tow to Vitoria began. Radio messages received later told of a tug having been dispatched. This was found to be untrue. It was only after anchoring in Vitoria Roads for over two hours that a tug finally did appear. She identified herself as the Gobernador, and officially relinquished the Mormacelm from further distress responsibility.

At 12:15 A.M., 29 hours after she came on the scene, the Mormacelm gave three long and one short blasts on her whistle in a token of farewell. Shortly after she was back on course for Rio carrying her load of stateside general cargo.

The New York Board of Trade selected Captain S. E. Roos, master of the Mormacelm, as the winner of its 1959 Tradition of the Sea award.  The award was presented at a luncheon at the Seamen's Church Institure.