Police helicopter assists with rescue of sail boat

From RCIPS Sun, Jan 4, 2015 at 5:14 PM

During the morning of Sunday, the 4th January 2105, Cayman authorities were contacted by the International Emergency Response Coordination Centre, Montgomery, Texas of an SOS signal received from a 46 foot sailing vessel in distress in the Caribbean Sea some 80 miles south west of Grand Cayman. The RCIPS initiated a response utilizing the Air Operations Unit and Joint Marine Unit.

At 12.05pm, the Police Helicopter crew located the sailing vessel ‘Stardust’ 80 miles south west of Grand Cayman. Communication was established and the vessel with two persons on board had lost all engine and generator power, and imminent loss of battery power and was under sail in rough seas, and seeking assistance.

The Police Helicopter crew further located a rig support ship MV Wildebeest in the near locality and requested assistance on behalf of the ‘Stardust’. This assistance is being rendered, and ensuring the safety of the sailing vessel crew. The ‘Stardust’ is expected to continue to the Cayman Islands for further checks and repairs, and progress will be monitored by the Joint Marine Unit.

Boat in distress near Sand Quay Island, South Sound, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands

From RCIPS Sun, Jan 4, 2015 at 11:55 AM

On Saturday 3^rd January 2015, around 5:11 pm the Police received a report of an 18 ft. vessel floating near Sand Quay Island, South Sound. Shortly afterwards 4 individuals were spotted in the waters nearby.

Members of the public rendered assistance and brought the 4 individuals ashore, one of whom was unconscious. A doctor who was at the scene rendered CPR to the male, but he was unable to be revived.

It was later confirmed that the 4 individuals were Cuban migrants, who were on their way to Honduras when their vessel encountered rough seas. They attempted to seek safe harbor at Sand Quay, but their vessel was overturned by a strong wave.

The surviving 3 migrants are currently in the care of the Immigration Department.

The circumstances surrounding the water related death of the Cuban migrant is currently under investigation by the Marine Dept. of the RCIPS.

Related story

One Cuban migrant dead in capsizing off Cayman Islands

By Peter Polack

GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands Sun Jan 4, 2015 4:10pm EST

(Reuters) – A Cuban migrant drowned after a makeshift vessel with four passengers overturned in rough seas off the Cayman Islands on Saturday afternoon, local officials said.

The three other Cubans, all in their 20s and 30s, made it to shore clinging to two inner tubes with the help of local surfers and were taken into custody, local officials said on Sunday.

The dead man was identified as Manuel Marino, believed to be in his 50s, Cayman officials said. The three survivors were identified as Dailer Perez Arresoitia, 27, Diosul Alarcon Barrero, 37, and Lety Sanchez Fonseca, 33, all from Santa Cruz del Sur in the eastern province of Camaguey.

Local police had been watching the 18-foot wooden sailboat off the coast of Grand Cayman during the day. The island lies southwest of Cuba, between it and the Central American mainland.

Cubans fleeing their country have been heading in increasing numbers to Central America by sea and then making a long journey overland to reach the United States.

Cuba blames Washington’s “wet foot, dry foot policy” for encouraging migrants to risk their lives. Under the policy, Cuban migrants who make it onto U.S. soil are allowed to remain. Those intercepted at sea are turned back.

Cuba and the U.S. made a historic announcement Dec. 17 to renew diplomatic relations, but the agreement made no mention about any changes to immigration policies.

U.S. officials say more than 16,000 Cubans arrived without visas at the border with Mexico last year, the highest number in a decade.

The Cayman Islands government recently met with Cuban authorities to review an existing migration accord, under which Cubans who land in the Cayman Islands are usually repatriated.

(This story fixes typo in third paragraph to say The three survivors …, not They three survivors)

(Writing by David Adams)

For more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/01/04/us-cuba-cayman-idUSKBN0KD0KH20150104