Coast Guard and Virgin Islands Search and Rescue units rescued three boaters near Horseshoe Reef, approximately six nautical miles southeast of Anegada, British Virgin Islands, Thursday, the U.S. Coast Guard announced.
Three adults were rescued. They reportedly were forced to abandon the 33-foot catamaran Quartz after it struck the rocks and began taking on water. All three boaters were wearing lifejackets when rescued, according to the press release.
At approximately 4:25 a.m., Thursday, Coast Guard watchstanders at Sector San Juan received a Mayday VHF Channel 16 radio communication as well as a 406Mhz transmission from the sailing vessel Quartz’s Emergency Positioning Indicating Radio Beacon. The boaters relayed to watchstanders that they were planning to abandon the vessel and embark the dinghy.
Watchstanders directed the launch of a Coast Guard 33-foot Special Purpose Craft – Law Enforcement from Boat Forces Unit St. Thomas and an MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter from Air Station Borinquen in Puerto Rico to find the boaters, and they also notified Virgin Islands Search and Rescue authorities of the ongoing distress, the press release stated.
Shortly after that, a responding Virgin Islands Search and Rescue marine unit arrived on-scene and recovered all three boaters from the dinghy. They were then transported to Tortola, where they were assisted by Virgin Islands Search and Rescue and local authorities. No medical emergencies were reported, the release stated.
“The efficient communication between the Coast Guard and Virgin Islands Search and Rescue allowed us to relay valuable information from the sailing vessel Quartz’s EPIRB that facilitated the expedited rescue of the three boaters,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Victor Rodríguez Laboy, Sector San Juan operations unit controller for the case.
“Vessel owners should always register their EPIRB’s with NOAA, doing so could save valuable time during a search and rescue response as it did in this case,” he said.
