Flares have led to the rescue of French boaters adrift for seven days off of Puerto Rico.
Robert Punginier, 77, and Marie Claude Durand, 50, were rescued from their disabled boat one day in February almost 150 miles south of Puerto Rico.
Coast Guard Cutter Vigilant crew told USCG Watchstanders at Sector San Juan they saw two red flares and also one red smoke signaling flare launched from the sailing vessel Orion.
The Vigilant diverted to assist, as the Orion was disabled with a torn sail. Its crew provided water to the boaters and confirmed the Orion’s engine was not working and the boat could not be sailed manually, due to mechanical problems.
Coast Guard Watchstanders asked Coast Guard Cutter Richard Dixon to assist and its crew safely embarked the boaters. One was extremely fatigued, while the other appeared to be in good health. Richard Dixon transported the boaters to the French Island of Martinique, where they were assisted by local authorities.
Adam Johns, Coast Guard Sector San Juan Search and Rescue mission coordinator for the case, says, “Our crews are glad they assisted in bringing these boaters to safety. The boaters showed good discipline and timing in using flares to signal their distress.”
Coast Guard Cutter Vigilant is a 210-foot medium endurance cutter from Port Canaveral, Florida, while the cutter Richard Dixon is a 154-foot fast response cutter based in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Story and image credit: USCG
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