After returning via Earle to Newport a little over a month later, "Wilkinson" sailed south to Cuban waters for refresher training—conducting those evolutions between 11 March and 28 April. While still at Guantanamo, on 8 April, the ship received orders at 03:10 to assist a burning freighter. Underway at 04:07, "Wilkinson" sped at flank speed to the scene of the disaster and, at 07:20, reached the stricken Norwegian passenger-freighter "Viking Princess". A fire and rescue party from USCGC "Cook Inlet" (WAVP-384) had meanwhile boarded the blazing merchantman to fight her fires. At 08:09, "Wilkinson" began closing the Nationalist Chinese merchantman "Chungking Victory" to receive the surviving crew members of "Viking Princess"—a process completed by 09:14. The frigate took the 13 survivors back to Guantanamo where she arrived shortly before noon and disembarked the rescued mariners.