SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — A Coast Guard aircrew rescued a man and a woman Saturday night from the grounded 35-foot power boat Last Straw in the vicinity of Shoy Point near Beauregard Bay in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands.
Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Sector San Juan received a Mayday call at 8:41p.m. Saturday, via VHF-Channel 16 marine radio, from one of the passengers aboard the Last Straw, who reported the vessel had run hard aground on a reef with a 56-year-old woman and a 71-year-old man onboard. The vessel reportedly had sustained damage to the hull and was taking on water, but according to the passengers onboard, was not in danger of sinking.
A Coast Guard Boat Forces crew in St. Croix responded aboard a 25-foot response boat, while Coast Guard Air Station Borinquen launched an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter and crew to the scene to search for the grounded vessel and provide rescue assistance.
The crew of the Coast Guard helicopter arrived on scene and hoisted the man and woman aboard and transported them to the Henry E. Wilson airport in St. Croix, where they were transferred to Emergency Medical Service personnel for transport to a local hospital for further evaluation.
The owner of the vessel has hired a salvage company who will attempt to refloat the vessel Tuesday during high tide. Coast Guard response personnel from Regional Inspection Office in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands will continue to monitor salvage efforts.
