A Coast Guard boat crew and two Good Samaritan vessels rescued five people after their vessel capsized offshore from Green Cay Marina on St. Croix.
Three men and two women were rescued Sunday after they reportedly fell into the water when the 21-foot pleasure craft Skater capsized after hitting a wave at high speed, the Coast Guard said Monday. The survivors were not wearing life jackets, it said.
Coast Guard watchstanders at Sector San Juan received a VHF Channel-16 communication from the pleasure craft U.S. Marie at 4:40 p.m. Sunday, reporting the vessel capsizing and five people in the water, the report stated.
A Coast Guard Boat Forces Detachment St. Croix 33-Special Purpose Craft crew responded to the scene after also hearing the distress communication and recovered one person from the water. People aboard one Good Samaritan vessel rescued two other people from the water, while a second vessel recovered the remaining two who were sitting on top of the capsized vessel, the Coast Guard reported. One of the Good Samaritan vessels righted and towed the capsized vessel to the Altona boat ramp.
Emergency Medical Service personnel at Green Cay Marina treated a woman who sustained an arm laceration during the capsizing, the report stated.
“The persons rescued in this case are very lucky and could have sustained far worse injuries after a high-speed crash,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Kyle Hooten, Boat Forces Detachment St. Croix coxswain for the case.
“The Good Samaritan vessels on scene did a great job responding to the incident. Mariners should operate at a safe speed for the current sea state conditions and wear personal flotation devices,” Hooten said. “Accidents like this happen without time to grab any safety gear.”
