Swift Rescue Efforts by Coast Guard and VI Search Teams Save Three Boaters Near BVI

In a swift and coordinated rescue operation, the Coast Guard and Virgin Islands Search and Rescue successfully saved three individuals from a distressed catamaran near the British Virgin Islands.

The rescue unfolded early Thursday morning after the 33-foot vessel, named the Quartz, ran aground on rocks near Horseshoe Reef, approximately six nautical miles southeast of Anegada.

Upon striking the rocks, the Quartz began to take on water, prompting its occupants to issue a Mayday distress call around 4:25 a.m. Concurrently, the vessel’s Emergency Positioning Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) transmitted a signal, which was received by watchstanders at Sector San Juan at the same time. This critical alert mobilized the Coast Guard to deploy a 33-foot Special Purpose Craft - Law Enforcement vessel from Boat Forces Unit St. Thomas and a MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter from Air Station Borinquen to the scene of the incident.

In parallel, Virgin Islands Search and Rescue was alerted to the emergency and dispatched one of its marine units to aid the boaters. The team reached the individuals who had abandoned the Quartz in favor of the catamaran’s dinghy, securing their safety.