Fishermen helped Coast Guard crewmembers rescue four Americans who were stranded on a life raft in the Atlantic Ocean north of the Dominican Republic, officials said Wednesday.
David Potts, John Potts, Andrew Cullar and Russel Case were sailing the Mariposa from St. Croix to Texas, with plans to make a stop in Key West, the Coast Guard said in a news release, which included dramatic video of the rescue. They had to abandon ship after the boat struck a rock, rolled, struck another rock and began sinking.
U.S. Coast Guard
Early Tuesday morning, Coast Guard watchstanders at the San Juan Command Center received a possible distress alert from an emergency positioning radio beacon. The beacon was about 180 miles northwest of Puerto Rico. The watchstanders directed an aircraft to launch from Air Station Borinquen in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico to search for signs of distress.
The watchstanders also issued a call asking vessels in the area to be on the lookout for possible distress. The El Coquí, a 720-foot container ship that was traveling from San Juan, Puerto Rico to Jacksonville, Florida, diverted to search the area.
U.S. Coast Guard
The Coast Guard aircrew located the life raft quickly. They also spotted a fishing vessel, the Bonanza, in the area, with several smaller boats. The Coast Guard conducted a series of low passes to get the attention of the Bonanza’s crew. The Bonanza’s crew were then steered to the life raft.
The fishermen were able to approach the life raft and rescue the survivors. The Bonanza crew then transported the survivors to the El Coquí. The El Coquí continued on its journey to Jacksonville, with the survivors on board.
U.S. Coast Guard
The ship is expected to arrive in Jacksonville on Thursday. The Coast Guard said there were no reported medical concerns from the four men.
U.S. Coast Guard
The Coast Guard said that the incident shows how having a registered emergency beacon can save lives in an emergency. Beacons can must be registered through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s U.S. Beacon Registration.
