An El Coquí crewmember helps pull stranded sailor onto the containership during a rescue at sea Tuesday.
The crew of the Crowley container ship M/V El Coquí, a United States Coast Guard aircrew, and local fishermen rescued four U.S. citizens from a life raft in Atlantic Ocean’s Silver Bank waters north of the Dominican Republic, Tuesday morning.
According to the Coast Guard, around 8 a.m., David Potts, 63; John Potts, 62; Andrew Cullar, 26; and Russel Case, 67, were forced to abandon their sailing vessel Mariposa after the 41-foot boat reportedly struck a submerged rock and was then overtaken by a wave which caused the vessel to roll on its port side.
The vessel struck another rock, which breached the vessel’s hull and started taking on water while additional waves flooded the vessel before sinking it in less than ten minutes. The four men had recently purchased the sailboat and were scheduled to travel from St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands to Portofino, Texas, with an anticipated stop in Key West, Fla.
Coast Guard Sector San Juan Command Center watchstanders received an unregistered 406 Emergency Positioning Radio Beacon signal alerting of a possible distress approximately 180 miles northwest of Puerto Rico. Coast Guard watchstanders directed the launch of an Air Station Miami HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircraft out of Air Station Borinquen in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, to search for any signs of a possible distress or survivors.
El Coquí, a Jones Act vessel which was traveling its normal shipping route from San Juan, Puerto Rico to Jacksonville, received the Enhanced Group Calling (EGC) and an Automated Mutual-Assistance Vessel Rescue (AMVER) from the Coast Guard around 9:20 a.m., notifying the crew to be on the lookout for a possible vessel in distress. The El Coquí is manned inall licensed positions by American Maritime Officers.
El Coquí Captain Kurt Breitfeller said the ship was about 16 nautical miles from the area when he decided to search for the cause of the signal. Once the vessel arrived, the El Coquí crew spotted the four men in a life raft in a very rocky area, but the large containership could not maneuver closer than three miles away.
Luckily, several small boats were fishing in waters near the area and the Coast Guard fixed-wing aircraft was able to get their attention, which led to the small boats picking up the men from the raft and transferring them to the El Coquí.
Because of the terrain and tumultuous weather conditions, it took four hours for the fishing vessel to rendezvous with El Coquí and to get the men safely aboard the vessel, Breitfeller said.
“I told them they were just in the wrong place at the wrong time, but we were in the right place at the right time to render aid,” he said. “I always believe that things happen for a reason and the timing of us being in that area to help could not have been more perfect.”
Once onboard, the four waterlogged men were given fresh clothes, shoes and toiletries donated by the El Coquí crew and given food and water, along with rooms to sleep in. No medical treatment was necessary, but the ordeal had taken a toll.
“They were exhausted both mentally and physically. We literally had to drag them up the ladder because they could barely make it,” Breitfeller said. “You could tell they were mentally spent. They even said they couldn’t sleep because they kept having nightmares about what happened.”
The El Coquí arrived in Jacksonville on Thursday, where the men disembarked, thankful to be on dry land. As for the El Coqui crew, being able to perform a rescue at sea that resulted in the possible saving of lives was a unifying and educational experience for all, Breifeller said.
“In my 36 years, this Is my first rescue and it’s one of the best feelings as master for things to go so well because at the end of the day, we want everyone to get home to their families and those men will be with their families soon,” he said. “The crew really came together and performed with incredible professionalism and that comes from constant practice, drills and training. I’m really proud of them.”
Four exhausted men rescued at sea were given water, food and fresh clothes by the El Coquí crew.
David Potts, John Potts, El Coquí Captain Kurt Breitfeller, Russell Case and Andrew Cullar pose for a photo after the four men were rescued from a life raft.
The four men safely arrived in Jacksonville on Thursday thanks to the efforts of El Coquí crewmembers like Third Mate Gavin Cooper.