Charles Sexton News

The search for a crewmember who reportedly went overboard from the Carnival Victory cruise ship about 30 miles northwest of Cuba was called off on Sunday, the U.S. Coast Guard said.Officials were unable to locate the missing crewmember after scouring approximately 2,600 square nautical miles over the course of over 45 hours.Involved with the search were the Coast Guard Cutters Charles Sexton (WPC-1108) and William Trump (WPC-1111) with Coast Guard Air Station Miami HC-144 Ocean Sentry airplane aircrews.

The search for an American cruise ship passenger who fell overboard 33 miles off the Cuban coast has been suspended after more than 16 hours of searching.   The U.S. Coast Guard called off its search Thursday evening for 23-year-old Florida resident Brandon Paul, who reportedly fell from the eighth deck of the cruise ship Carnival Victory early Wednesday morning roughly 33 miles northwest of Pinar Del Rio, Cuba.   Rescue crews searched for more than 16 hours and covered nearly 3,500 square miles.   The U.S. Coast Guard sent two airplane crews and the Coast Guard Cutter Charles Sexton to search the area, with assistance from Cuban search and rescue authorities as well as the Carnival Victory and its search boat.

U.S. and Cuban emergency responders are searching for an overboard passenger who reportedly fell from the eighth deck of a cruise ship roughly 30 miles off the coast of Cuba.   Missing is 23-year-old Florida resident Brandon Paul, who is said to have went overboard from the Carnival Victory cruise ship Wednesday at approximately 3 a.m.   The cruise ship launched a search boat and continues to search on scene some 33 miles northwest of Pinar Del Rio, Cuba.   The U.S. Coast Guard has sent an airplane crew and the Coast Guard Cutter Charles Sexton to assist in the search, while Cuban search and rescue authorities have also launched assets to assist in the search efforts.

The Coast Guard repatriated 150 Cuban migrants to Bahia de Cabañas, Cuba, since Dec. 30. The Coast Guard Cutter Charles Sexton crew repatriated 74 Cuban migrants Tuesday, and the Coast Guard Cutter Isaac Mayo repatriated 76 Cuban migrants Friday. These repatriations are a result of 12 separate at-sea migrant interdictions in the South Florida Straits. In each instance, the Coast Guard helped secure the U.S. border and prevented these sea voyages from ending in tragedy. “We discourage anyone from taking to the sea and attempting to reach U.S. soil illegally – they are risking their lives with very little chance of success,” said Capt. Mark Gordon, chief of enforcement for the Coast Guard 7th District.

Coast Guard search and rescue crews continue searching for possible survivors from the cargo ship El Faro Monday night, covering a total search area of more than 160,574 square nautical miles. While searching in the vicinity of the ship's last known position 35 nautical miles northeast of Crooked Islands, Bahamas, the Coast Guard located a deceased person in a survival suit in the water. A heavily damaged life boat with markings consistent with those on board the El Faro was also located Sunday. Additional items located by Coast Guard aircrews within a 225 square nautical mile search area include a partially submerged life raft, life jackets, life rings, cargo containers and an oil sheen Sunday. Coast Guard Cutter Resolute, a 210-foot medium endurance cutter homeported in St.

Seven crewmembers were rescued after their 100-foot coastal freighter began taking on water and sank approximately 45 miles north off of Cap Haitien, Haiti, Friday. Watchstanders at the U.S. Coast Guard 7th District command center in Miami received a report from a tug stating they heard a distress call from a vessel claiming to be taking on water off the coast of Great Inagua, Bahamas. A Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew deployed in support of Operations Bahamas, Turks…

Seven crewmembers were rescued after their 100-foot coastal freighter began taking on water and sank approximately 45 miles north off of Cap Haitien, Haiti, Friday. Watchstanders at the Coast Guard 7th District command center in Miami received a report from a tug stating they heard a distress call from a vessel claiming to be taking on water off the coast of Great Inagua, Bahamas. A Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew deployed in support of Operations Bahamas, Turks and Caicos (OPBAT) launched and located the coastal freighter Calypso approximately 50 miles off the coast of Great Inagua. The helicopter crew lowered a rescue swimmer down with a dewatering pump. The freighter Calypso began to slowly transit to the coast of Haiti to investigate the source of the flooding.

Coast Guard crews aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Charles David Jr. and the Coast Guard Cutter Valiant repatriated 86 migrants illegally migrating from Cuba and Haiti. These repatriations are a result of five separate interdictions of people attempting to illegally migrate to the United States through the Florida Straits stemming back to Sunday. On Aug. 21, the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter William Flores interdicted 24 Haitian migrants (12 males, nine females, three infants) north of Grand Bahamas Island, Bahamas. Sixteen of the migrants were reported to have jumped into the water but were subsequently rescued by the motor vessel Cap Guillame and the Coast Guard Cutter William Flores. All 24 migrants were safely transferred to the William Flores and were given a medical evaluation.

The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) rescued 64 Cuban migrants and 100 Haitian migrants during a busy week of illegal maritime migration attempts from Cuba and Haiti into the United States. The 64 Cuban migrants were repatriated last week following three separate interdictions at sea in the Florida Straits dating back to August 7. On Monday, the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Paul Clark located an overloaded Haitian sail freighter in Bahamian waters. A deployed Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk…

Bollinger Shipyards, Inc., Lockport, Louisiana, announced the award of six additional USCG Sentinel Class Fast Response Cutters (FRCs). The U. S. Coast Guard (USCG) awarded a $255 million contract option to Bollinger Shipyards of Lockport, La., July 23, 2014 for the production of six more Sentinel-Class FRCs, bringing the total number of FRCs under contract with Bollinger to 30, with a current contract value of $1.4 billion. The FRCs acquired under this contract option are scheduled to be delivered in 2017 and will be homeported at various bases throughout the U.S.

Coast Guard Cutter Charles Sexton was commissioned into service March 8 at Coast Guard Sector Key West, Fla. The Sexton is the second of six Fast Response Cutters to be homeported in Key West, and the eighth vessel to be delivered through the Coast Guard’s Sentinel-class FRC recapitalization project. The cutter is named after Machinery Technician 1st Class Charles W. Sexton, who drowned during a rescue operation conducted off the coast of Washington. On Jan. 11, 1991, Sexton was aboard a motor lifeboat dispatched to assist the 75-foot fishing vessel Sea King…

U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Bob Papp delivered his final State of the Coast Guard address at Coast Guard Headquarters, St. Elizabeths Campus, Washington, D.C., Wednesday. Papp provided an overview of programs and issues of the last four years and also looked ahead to what the Coast Guard may face in the future. Papp mentioned progress in the Coast guard’s improvement of its sexual assault prevention and response program, citing the commitment of $5 million and 32 military and civilian billets to the effort and the creation of the Special Victims Counsel…

Bollinger Shipyards, Inc. has delivered the Charles Sexton, the eighth Fast Response Cutter (FRC) to the United States Coast Guard. The announcement was made by Bollinger President, Chris Bollinger, “We are very pleased to announce another successful on-time and on-budget FRC delivery to the U.S. Coast Guard. The Charles Sexton was delivered to the 7th Coast Guard District in Key West, Fla., and will be stationed at USCG Sector Key West. The 154-foot patrol craft Charles Sexton is the eighth vessel in the Coast Guard's Sentinel-class FRC program.

Bollinger will honor the namesakes for the fourteen (14) USCG Fast Response Cutters (FRC) currently under contract, by hosting a fleet dedication in March 2012. Bollinger is looking for descendants and will host one or two representatives from each of the families. Bernard C. Robert J. Charles Walter David Jr. Bollinger has been able to contact the families of Bernie Webber, William Flores, and Richard Dixon, but need help locating the others.

1882- At 9 a.m during a thick snowstorm, the schooner A .F. Ames of Rockland, Maine, was bound from Perth Amboy to Boston with a crew of seven persons. She stranded during a thick snowstorm five hundred yards east of Race Point and one mile and three-quarters west of Station No. 6, Second District. The vessel was discovered by the patrol and the life-saving crew boarded her at 9:15 o’clock. She was leaking and pounding heavily. The pumps were manned to keep the water down. The vessel was floated on the rising tide and made sail. She was piloted into deep water. The leak, however, was gaining rapidly. After consulting with the captain, the vessel was put on the beach. The crew was sheltered at the station until the 13th when the keeper sent them to Boston.

1882- At 9 a.m during a thick snowstorm, the schooner A .F. Ames of Rockland, Maine, was bound from Perth Amboy to Boston with a crew of seven persons. She stranded during a thick snowstorm five hundred yards east of Race Point and one mile and three-quarters west of Station No. 6, Second District. The vessel was discovered by the patrol and the life-saving crew boarded her at 9:15 o’clock. She was leaking and pounding heavily. The pumps were manned to keep the water down. The vessel was floated on the rising tide and made sail. She was piloted into deep water. The leak, however, was gaining rapidly. After consulting with the captain, the vessel was put on the beach. The crew was sheltered at the station until the 13th when the keeper sent them to Boston.