SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – U.S. Coast Guard, British Virgin Islands Royal Marine Police, and Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard air and surface units rescued a sole mariner aboard demasted sailing vessel in Eastern Caribbean waters northeast of Anegada, British Virgin Islands, Tuesday.
Rescued was French citizen Frank Rouvray, 58, who reportedly was on a voyage to the island of Saint Martin when the vessel Topaze became demasted, and the distress signal was transmitted to the Coast Guard.
Coast Guard watchstanders in Sector San Juan received a distress alert Tuesday morning from a 406 MHz Emergency Positioning Indicating Radio Beacon EPIRB. The alert was located approximately 33 nautical miles northeast of Anegada, while the weather on-scene was reported as seven to nine-foot seas with 21 knot winds. Watchstanders issued an Urgent Marine Information Broadcast and an Enhanced Group Call to alert any vessel traffic to be on the lookout for a possible distress. A Coast Guard MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter from Air Station Borinquen responded to search for any signs of a possible distress, while a Royal Marine Police surface unit also responded.
Once in the vicinity, the Coast Guard aircrew detected the location of the distress signal and was able to establish communications with Rouvray aboard the sailing vessel Topaze, who indicated the vessel had also run out of fuel. Despite a language communication barrier with the mariner, the Coast Guard aircraft remained on-scene until it was temporarily relieved by a Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard fixed-wing aircrew to refuel. After refueling, the Coast Guard aircrew returned and reestablished air coverage of the vessel Topaze until the Royal Marine Police surface unit arrived on scene. The Royal Marine Police crew successfully established a towline for the vessel Topaze and safely towed the vessel to safe harbor in Tortola, British Virgin Islands.
“The EPIRB distress signal and the efficient communication and coordination between all Coast Guard elements and those of our Dutch and British Virgin Islands partners led to the successful rescue assistance required to bring Mr. Rouvray and the vessel Topaze to safe harbor,” said Lt. Cmdr. Lukas Rodríguez, Sector San Juan Search and Rescue mission coordinator for the case. “Having the right emergency communication equipment onboard can make the difference between success and failure. In this case, we are all glad for the successful outcome.”
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