Seven Rescued near Great Inagua

Coast Guard rescued seven people Wednesday from a 180-foot motor vessel taking on water about 46 miles west of Great Inagua, Bahamas.

At 5:20 a.m., Coast Guard Seventh District Command Center watch standers received an alert from a locating device from the motor vessel Trois Rivieres near Great Inagua. Watch standers diverted the Coast Guard Cutter Confidence crew and directed the launch of a forward deployed Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew.

The rescue crew arrived on scene at 7:19 a.m. to lower the rescue swimmer with a dewatering pump and generator to help the Trois Rivieres crew. The pump wasn’t able to keep up with the water intake and the crew abandoned ship.

“The quick response by the helicopter crew, and having the right equipment aboard this ship made this rescue seamless,” said Lt. Cdmr. Ryan Kelley, public affairs officer, Seventh Coast Guard District. “I can’t stress enough, the importance of having locating beacons, and functional communication devices out at sea; they save lives.”

The helicopter hoisted all seven mariners and transferred them to Royal Bahamas Defense Force in Great Iguana.