Coastguard rescues sailor from sinking vessel off Puerto Rico
US Coast Guard aircrews have rescued a sole sailor from a sailing vessel that was taking on water approximately 170 nautical miles northwest of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico.
US citizen Neil Treitman, 69, was transiting aboard the 46-foot sailing catamaran Sailicity from Nassau, Bahamas to Tortola, British Virgin Islands, when the vessel started taking on water during the evening of 8 December 2023.
Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector San Juan received a call at approximately 9:58 p.m, in which the reporting source called from the British Virgin Islands and informed to have received a satellite communication from Trietman reporting the distress. Watchstanders later received an Emergency Positioning Indicating Radio Beacon 406 MHz distress signal from the Sailicity.
A Coast Guard MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter from Air Station Borinquen, an HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircraft from Air Station Miami, and the Coast Guard Cutter Pablo Valent responded to find the Sailicity and give rescue assistance. Watchstanders also conducted an Emergency Group Calling and transmitted an Urgent Marine Information Broadcast to alert commercial vessel traffic of the ongoing distress. Once on scene, the Coast Guard MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter crew deployed their rescue swimmer, who was able to get on board the sailing vessel and hoist Treitman safely aboard the aircraft.
Rescued is Neil Treitman, 69, who was on a voyage from Nassau, Bahamas to Tortola, British Virgin Islands.
— USCGSoutheast (@USCGSoutheast) December 11, 2023
Read more: https://t.co/qcJbYtuUFi pic.twitter.com/k3a8KKw8Ur
Treitman later informed that during the voyage, he noticed that water was slowly coming inside the vessel and that he was able to activate the vessel bilge pumps and use buckets to mitigate the flooding. Despite Treitman’s efforts, the mitigating measures were ineffective as water started to enter the vessel more rapidly.
“We’re very thankful Mr. Treitman had the necessary equipment on board his vessel so we could safely and efficiently locate him far offshore,” says Lt. Cmdr. Vince Knaeble, Air Station Borinquen MH-60T Jayhawk aircraft commander for the case. “The deployed HC-144 from Miami was critical for this case as our cover asset, and we’re thankful for the awesome SAR support they provided.”
Following the rescue, the Coast Guard aircrew transported Treitman to Air Station Borinquen. No injuries or medical emergencies were reported.
In November, a sailor who lost contact with his family while sailing from New Jersey to Bermuda on a solo adventure was rescued by the US Coast Guard after he was spotted hundreds of miles from shore.
The stranded mariner was discovered nearly 300 miles off the coast of North Carolina in a damaged boat.
