SNSM towed a sailboat to safety following engine failure off Grand Case.
GRAND CASE--What began as a search for two missing fishermen turned into a successful rescue operation when the SNSM sea rescue crew of Saint-Martin assisted two women aboard a disabled sailboat off the coast of Grand Case on Sunday night
Earlier in the evening, Centre Régionnaux Opérationnels de Surveillance et de Sauvetage (CROSS-Antilles Guyane AG), the maritime rescue coordination centre, alerted the local SNSM station after a small fishing boat with two people on board had not returned and showed no signs of contact.
Four volunteers, led by their captain, set out aboard the SNS 129 at 7:30pm heading towards Tintamarre, the fishermen’s usual area. At 8:02pm CROSS confirmed that the fishermen had safely returned to shore, easing initial concerns.
On their way back, the SNSM crew decided to check the position and functioning of the airport navigation beacons in Grand Case Bay. At 8:38pm they spotted light signals coming from a sailboat.
The vessel “Lady Lou II”, registered in Quebec, was crewed by two women struggling to tow their disabled sailboat with a small dinghy after suffering an engine breakdown. They requested SNSM’s assistance to be safely towed closer to shore.
An SNSM volunteer boarded the sailboat, secured the tow-line and guided the vessel to a safe anchorage. By 9:07pm the “Lady Lou II” was moored and its crew safe. SNS 129 returned to its base at Fort Louis Marina at 9:30pm.
Thanks to the vigilance and dedication of its volunteers, SNSM Saint-Martin once again highlighted the crucial role it plays in ensuring the safety of seafarers and boaters in local waters.
