ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The crew of Coast Guard Cutter Resolute, homeported here, is scheduled to return home Friday, at 8:30 a.m., after a busy 48-day patrol in the Gulf of Mexico.
Resolute patrolled the Gulf of Mexico enforcing fishing and safety regulations on commercial fishing vessels along the coasts of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. Resolute worked closely with Coast Guard Sector New Orleans and Mobile, Ala., to detect and board fishing vessels.
Resolute law-enforcement officers boarded 25 commercial-fishing vessels and cited 21 of them for safety and fishing violations. During one, 24-hour period, Resolute law-enforcement officers cited two fishing vessels for multiple violations of fisheries regulations, and seized the vessels’ catches — valued at more than $10,000.
Resolute assisted in three search-and-rescue cases during its 48-day patrol. On March 13, Resolute diverted 60 miles to aid the 65-foot fishing vessel De Queen, which was disabled and adrift. Resolute towed the De Queen more than 120 miles to the mouth of the Mississippi River, where the vessel could be safely moored and repaired.
While patrolling the Gulf of Mexico, Resolute supported several HH-65 Dolphin helicopters from Coast Guard Air Stations Houston, New Orleans and Corpus Christi, Texas. Resolute crewmembers conducted 231 day, night and night-vision goggle flight operations to keep crewmembers qualified for aircraft operations in all weather and sea conditions.
“This was an extremely busy and exciting patrol in which Resolute crewmembers truly participated and excelled in the Coast Guard’s missions of law-enforcement, national-defense operations and search-and-rescue,” said Cmdr. G. Todd Prestidge, commanding officer of Resolute.
Resolute is a 210-foot Reliance class cutter and has a crew of 12 officers and 68 enlisted personnel. Every member is happy to be home with their family and friends in time for the Easter weekend and appreciates the support of the Tampa Bay community.
