KEY WEST, Fla. — Multiple Coast Guard units assisted the crew of the fishing boat Miss Suzanne, a 67-foot shrimp boat, after they started taking on water 50 miles northwest of Key West Saturday.
Coast Guard search-and-rescue coordinators at Sector Key West received a call from the crew of the Miss Suzanne at approximately 3 p.m. Saturday who stated they had three people aboard and were taking on water from an unknown source. They stated their bilge pumps were unable to keep up with the amount of water coming in. Aboard the Miss Suzanne was Wayne Taylor, 50, Samuel Milligan, 39, and Ronald Segui, 45.
The Coast Guard responded immediately by diverting Coast Guard Cutters Nantucket and Joshua Appleby. Also launched was an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter aircrew from Air Station Clearwater, Fla., and an HU-25 Falcon jet aircrew from Air Station Miami.
The HU-25 Falcon aircrew arrived on scene at approximately 5 p.m. and dropped a pump to the crew of the Miss Suzanne. The crew of the Miss Suzanne was able to get the pump set up and running to assist their bilge pumps.
The MH-60 Jayhawk aircrew arrived on scene shortly thereafter and passed two more pumps to the crew of the Miss Suzanne. The crew was able to get a second pump set up and pumping. With two Coast Guard provided pumps and their installed bilge pumps the crew of the Miss Suzanne was able to keep up with the flooding and gain control over the situation.
The Nantucket crew arrived on scene at 6:30 p.m. and sent a rescue and repair team to the Miss Suzanne to assist them with the Coast Guard provided pumps while making progress towards Key West. The crew of the Joshua Appleby arrived on scene at approximately 7:30 p.m. to provide additional assistance.
At 8:30 p.m., crewmember Ronald Segui from the Miss Suzanne, suffered a possible heart attack. The Coast Guard responded immediately by launching a boatcrew from Station Key West who arrived on scene with the Miss Suzanne and the two Coast Guard Cutters. An MH-65 Dolphin helicopter aircrew from Air Station Miami was launched and assisted during the medevac as well.
The boatcrew brought Segui into Key West where he was transferred to Lower Keys Medical Center by local EMS and is currently listed in stable condition.
The Joshua Appleby crew took the Miss Suzanne in tow at approximately 1:30 a.m. Sunday after the Miss Suzanne lost propulsion. At 7:15 a.m. Sunday, a boatcrew from Station Key West took over the tow of the Miss Suzanne at the entrance of the Northwest Channel and are continuing to Stock Island where the Miss Suzanne crew plans on mooring.
Coast Guard Cutter Nantucket is a 110-foot patrol boat homeported in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Coast Guard Cutter Joshua Appleby is a 175-foot buoy tender homeported in St. Petersburg.
