US Coast Guard air and surface crews and a Good Samaritan rescued three boaters in distress off the coast of Loíza, Puerto Rico, on the night (local time) of Sunday, May 31.
Coast guard watchstanders at Sector San Juan received a call relayed by a 911 emergency service operator at 19:00 on Sunday from a boater reporting that his father had jumped into the water without a lifejacket in an attempt to fix their vessel’s outboard engine and was quickly swept away by the sea state and ocean currents.
The reporting source further relayed two persons remained aboard the disabled vessel.
Watchstanders directed the launch of a coast guard MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter from Air Station Borinquen in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, and a Station San Juan 33-foot (10-metre) special purpose craft-law enforcement to respond.
Watchstanders notified Puerto Rico Police Joint Forces of Rapid Action and Loíza Municipal Office of Emergency Management and also issued an urgent marine information broadcast to alert vessel traffic in the area of the distress.
Moments thereafter, the coast guard aircrew arrived on scene, located the man in the water and vectored-in the Station San Juan boat crew to his position, who recovered and brought him safely aboard the vessel.
Following the rescue, a Good Samaritan mariner arrived on-scene and established a tow with the disabled vessel.
The coast guard boat crew transported the survivor and escorted the Good Samaritan vessel and the disabled vessel to safe harbour in Piñones, Puerto Rico. No injuries or medical emergencies were reported in this case.