Coast Guard saves 3 federal agents, 2 boaters after vessel capsizes in Puerto Rico

The U.S. Coast Guard’s rescue mission off the coast of Puerto Rico took a dangerous turn Tuesday night when two boats capsized and five people, including three federal agents, were stranded in rough seas before they were safely rescued.

Officials said the three agents and two boaters were safe and there were no other missing persons.

Coast Guard watchdogs in the San Juan Sector were notified by the Puerto Rico Police Joint Rapid Action Force of a ship capsized off Isla de Cabras in Toa Baja, Puerto Rico, just after 9 p.m. Tuesday, prompting an emergency maritime information broadcast (UMIB) alert to ship traffic in the area, according to officials.

Security directed the launch of the San Juan Station 45-foot Medium Response Boat and the Coast Guard MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter to provide rescue assistance.

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A U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Caribbean Air and Sea Branch Marine Unit and a Puerto Rico Police Joint Rapid Action Force (FURA) helicopter were also dispatched.

A short time later, a good Samaritan saw a 70-foot vessel capsize and two people clinging to the boat, authorities said. He secured a position for response units while the Puerto Rican police helicopter team tracked the capsized ship.

As the CBP marine unit approached the boaters in 10-foot waves to attempt a rescue, their ship also capsized, throwing the three agents into the water.

The San Juan Station boat crew attempted to reach agents and boaters but were unable to do so due to the deteriorating sea state and the fact that the original capsized vessel was beyond the reef line.

A boat capsized off Isla de Cabras in Toa Baja, Puerto Rico, on Tuesday. (iStock)

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While the Coast Guard helicopter responded, the Puerto Rican police helicopter crew rescued one of the boaters and one of the CBP agents and took them to Isla de Cabras.

The Coast Guard aircrew then deployed rescue swimmers and lifted the remaining two agents and the boater safely onto the aircraft.

The survivors were taken to Fernando Luis Ribas Dominicci Airport in San Juan, where they were met by Puerto Rico Emergency Medical Service personnel and treated for minor injuries.

“The rapid actions of FURA and CBP AMO allowed for continued observation and rapid rescue of all five individuals in the water,” said Lt. David Tirado-Tolosa, Coast Guard Air Station MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter aircraft commander.

“This mission highlights the high-risk environment our crews and our federal and local partners face every time they respond to a search and rescue operation. We are very pleased that everyone returned home safely, as this could easily have had a different outcome.”

The U.S. Coast Guard was assisted in the rescue by the Puerto Rico Police Joint Rapid Action Force. (USCG Statement/Reuters, File)

Commander. Zach Geyer, Coast Guard Sector San Juan Search and Rescue mission coordinator, added that the case highlights the dangers faced by rescue professionals who come to the aid of mariners in distress.

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“The CBP asset team exemplified the courageous effort of our federal and local responders by making a deliberate and calculated risk decision to rescue two individuals in immediate danger of death,” Geyer said.

“Through strong coordination between agencies including CBP, FURA, the Caribbean Air and Maritime Operations Center, and the Federal Aviation Administration, responders safely deconflicted a congested airspace and ultimately saved lives.”