Mercy was sent to Los Angeles from San Diego to add 1000 beds to the City’s hospital capacity to help combat the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. Mercy was to take non-coronavirus patients from area hospitals leaving those beds for virus patients. Although Mercy left on March 23, 2020, she remained just off San Diego for several days to load additional people and supplies. Her early sailing was an effort at public relations. The tugboat in the image, C-Tractor 6, helped pull Mercy off the dock and followed her out to the harbor entrance to take off the harbor pilot. Location: San Diego, from the south end of Shelter Island.
Submitted by Michael Y. Young, San Diego County – San Diego.