Coast Guard Rescues 5 Boaters As Vessel Takes On Water Offshore Puerto Rico

The U.S. Coast Guard rescued five boaters after their vessel became disabled about 13 nautical miles offshore Puerto Rico on Saturday.

Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector San Juan received a call from a 911 operator and a VHF-Channel 16 radio communication from the 18-foot recreational vessel Michelle Marie II reporting that the vessel was taking on water and its pumps were disabled. The boaters, four men and one woman, reported becoming “exhausted” from manually bailing out water.

The Michelle Marie II was located about 13 nautical miles off Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico, amid eight-foot seas.

The Coast Guard issued an Urgent Marine Information Broadcast to alert nearby vessels and directed the launch of a Coast Guard MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter and diverted the Coast Guard Cutter Joseph Napier to the scene.

The Cutter Joseph Napier arrived and spotted two signal flares that had been launched by the Michelle Marie II and deployed their Over-the-Horizon small boat. All five boaters were safely transferred to the small boat, and the Coast Guard crew used a P-6 pump to help dewater the vessel.

The commercial salvage vessel Kraken arrived and embarked the survivors, then transported them with the Michelle Marie II in tow to Combate Beach in Cabo Rojo. No injuries were reported.

“The situation and conditions on-scene could have caused this vessel to capsize at any given moment,” Capt. Robert E. Stiles, Coast Guard Sector San Juan Search and Rescue mission coordinator for the case, said in a statement. “Thanks to the quick response and swift coordination between Coast Guard watchstanders and the Coast Guard Cutter Joseph Napier crew all five lives were saved, and a tragic outcome was averted. Although we are very glad everyone aboard the Michelle Marie II is safe, we cant overemphasize the importance of heeding small craft advisories and paying close attention to projected sea-states and weather conditions before going out to sea.”