San Juan, Puerto Rico – Coast Guard rescue crews rescued a man adrift for three days aboard a capsized catamaran Monday, approximately five nautical miles off the northern coast of Loiza, Puerto Rico.
The rescued man reportedly was transiting Friday from Culebra Island to Fajardo, Puerto Rico, when his catamaran capsized shortly after departing Culebra Island.
Watchstanders at the Coast Guard Sector San Juan command center in Puerto Rico received notification at 12:30 a.m. Monday from the cruise ship Carnival Victory, that a passenger reported seeing a man on top of a capsized vessel screaming for help and waving a pole signal.
Coast Guard watchstanders were notified by the crew of the Carnival Victory of the time and position of the sighting following confirmation that the ship’s camera system detected the boater in distress.
Coast Guard watchstanders coordinated the launch of a MH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Coast Guard Air Station Borinquen and a Boat Station San Juan 45-foot Response Boat Medium to search for the distressed boater.
The crew of the MH-65 Dolphin helicopter arrived on scene, located the boater and vectored in the crew of the Coast Guard response boat to his position. The Coast Guard boat crew rescued the boater and transferred him to awaiting Emergency Medical Service personnel at Coast Guard Base San Juan. The boater was transported to a local medical facility in Santurce, Puerto Rico to receive further medical care for possible dehydration and exposure to the elements.
