June 22, 2002 – In the dark of night and in choppy seas, four men used a makeshift ladder to climb aboard an uncontrolled, speeding vessel, having no idea what was ailing its nine crew members -– who were in various states of unconsciousness or semi-consciousness and convulsing.
"What they knew was everyone was sick and lying down incapacitated," Cmdr. Steven Vanderplas, U.S. Coast Guard representative, said as he began the ceremony to award those four Virgin Islands men the Coast Guard Bronze Plaque of Merit.
Vanderplas called the actions of local Coast Guard Auxiliary members W. Donald Jeffrey, Klaus Willems and Richard Dowling and civilian team member Avon Chesterfield -– a team which saved at least two lives that night -– "heroic." All nine crew members survived.
Heroism along with "extraordinary professional competence at all times" are the criteria for giving the Bronze Plaque, which has not been awarded since 1953, according to Vanderplas. Also, it is given only to members of the Coast Guard Auxiliary; hence, the special civilian award for Chesterfield, who is an Emergency Medical Technician trainer for the Health Department.
On March 1, 1999, V.I. Radio received a jumbled SOS call from a Filipino crew member of the 300-foot freighter Mint Quick, which was on autopilot speeding toward St. Thomas's south shore.
V.I. Radio contacted Jeffrey, the local Coast Guard Auxiliary team leader, who immediately took control of the rescue, Vanderplas said.
When the four-man team that Jeffrey pulled together reached the Mint Quick, they quickly rigged a makeshift ladder, attached it to the moving vessel and used it to climb aboard.
"Pilots die every year boarding ship to ship," Vanderplas said, later noting that Chesterfield had no previous experience with boarding a moving ship, unlike USCG Auxiliary members who have practiced the procedure in drills.
"This was not an ordinary case," Vanderplas said. "I would be thinking, 'I am going into this slowly.' Unfortunately, they didn't have the luxury, with the ship charging ahead toward shore."
Once aboard, Jeffrey and Willems climbed six levels up to the bridge in the dark and brought the ship to a halt just 200 yards from a south shore reef, thus protecting an "ecologically sensitive area" as well as the lives of the men on board.
Using only a flashlight, Dowling and Chesterfield worked together to stabilize the crew members,who were suffering from ciguatera, a potentially fatal fish poisoning. They provided improvised medical care including administering intravenous injections -– which the commendation from Rear Adm. Jay Carmichael said "saved at least two lives."
Once rescue vessels arrived, including the Lady Salvor, which served as a platform for the operation, Dowling, Chesterfield and Willems carried the nine victims one by one to the waiting vessels and assisted them to shore.
V.I. Port Authority employees Derek Sylvester and Renaldo Lettsome also were given special appreciation plaques Saturday for their part in piloting the boats, in the dark, through choppy seas, that brought the incapacitated crew members to shore.
Jeffrey later said it was totally a team effort: "I asked the men three times, once at the dock, where it's easy to say yes, and twice before attempting to board the speeding vessel, 'Are you sure you want to do this?'"
There was never a moment's hesitation, he said.
Mary Larsen, commodore of the USCG Auxiliary Seventh District, and Kevin Crawley, commander of the Seventh District, were present for the ceremony. The Seventh District includes Georgia, South Carolina, Florida, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
With 5,800 members, it is the largest, most active district in the country, Larsen said.
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