Missing Fishermen Located in Gulf of Mexico

Shrimp boat 'El Abuelo' located by USCG flight, 'float plan' aided rescue

A Coast Guard flight crew located the two men earlier reported missing between Brownsville, Texas and Tampico, Mexico in the Gulf of Mexico.

Missing were Manuel Gallardo Castillo and Faulsto Gomez Jr.

Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Corpus Christi, Texas received a call from the agent of the shrimping vessel, El Abuelo, that the vessel was overduel.

Coast Guard Air Station Corpus Christi launched an HU-25 Falcon fixed-wing aircraft and crew to search along the intended track line of the vessel.

The Falcon crew located and made radio contact with the El Abuelo. The men reported that they had become disabled with a malfunctioning fuel pump. The 8th Coast Guard District command center watchstanders relayed this information to the Mexican Navy, who launched one of their vessels to assist the El Abuelo which they took in tow.

“The success of this response can be attributed to the diligent adherence to standardized practices,” said Lt. Matt Kor, 8th District command duty officer. “We have checklists and standard operating procedures for everything from answering the phone to launching the aircraft that located the vessel, but what really made the difference was a float plan. If these men hadn’t had a pre-arranged float plan with their agent this case may have turned out much differently.”