Archive image: U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Borinquen delivers essential medical supplies to Port Security Unit during Exercise “Poseidon’s Domain” along the northeast coast of Puerto Rico on April 20, 2024.
The support of the Air Station allowed members to receive medical care to support the ongoing training exercise.
U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Jamie Emery.
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – A Coast Guard MH-60T helicopter aircrew assisted the cargo vessel Sea Falcon that was taking on water approximately 22 nautical miles south of Puerto Rico. Saturday, May 25, 2024.
The Sea Falcon, a Vanuatu-flagged 121-foot offshore supply ship, was transiting to Tortola, British Virgin Islands with four people aboard while transporting two vehicles, construction materials, glass and one container with dry goods.
Coast Guard Sector San Juan watchstanders received a distress call from the master of the Sea Falcon late Friday night reporting that there was a crack in the vessel’s hull and that the estimated the rate of flooding was approximately 300 gallons per minute. He further relayed that the crew was using dewatering pumps that were not keeping up with flooding in the bilge.
Watchstanders issued an Urgent Marine Information Broadcast (UMIB) to alert nearby vessel traffic of the distress, they directed the launch of a Coast Guard Air Station Borinquen MH-60T Jayhawk Medium-Range Recovery Helicopter to provide rescue assistance on scene and notified local Puerto Rico Joint Force of Rapid Action marine units of the developing situation.
Later in the morning, the Sea Falcon arrived safely to its destination in Tortola, British Virgin Islands.
U.S. Coast Guard video.
U.S. Coast Guard Sector San Juan.
U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Borinquen.
U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Area.
U.S. Coast Guard Southeast.
Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard.
Department of Homeland Security.
Shortly thereafter, the Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk MRR Helicopter aircrew arrived on scene with the Sea Falcon and deployed the rescue swimmer aboard the vessel to assess the situation.
The rescue swimmer confirmed approximately three inches of water in the engine room due to a three-inch crack in the vessel’s hull. Once the portable dewatering pump was set up, the rescue swimmer confirmed the water level decreased to about two inches.
The rescue aircrew then proceeded to recover their rescue swimmer and return to Air Station Borinquen. At approximately 11:48 a.m. the Sea Falcon confirmed the vessel’s safe arrival and mooring in Tortola, British, Virgin Islands.
“We are happy to assist the crew of the Sea Falcon, providing them with a dewatering pump to stem the flow of the leak,” said Lt. Travis Cox, Coast Guard MH-60T Jayhawk aircraft commander of the case. “Sector San Juan, Air Station Borinquen and the Sea Falcon crew worked well together and made this case seem routine.”
Later in the morning, the Sea Falcon arrived safely to its destination in Tortola, British Virgin Islands.
U.S. Coast Guard photo.
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–USCG–
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