Cutter Venturous News

The U.S. Coast Guard said on Wednesday it is responding to a drillship that reportedly sustained damage as Hurricane Ida ripped through the Gulf of Mexico and into Louisiana as a Category 4 storm.The agency said it was notified during the storm that the ultra-deepwater drillship Noble Globetrotter II had been damaged, and that it had been in touch with both the vessel's master and owner Noble Corporation since Sunday to gauge the extent of any damage and to ensure readiness of onboard lifesaving equipment.The Liberian-flagged drillship and its 100-plus crew are currently located 80 nautical miles south, southeast of Grand Isle, La. The vessel's U.S. licensed master has maintained that the drillship was not in distress and is not actively taking on water, according to the Coast Guard.

The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Forward (WMEC-911) offloaded approximately 34,780 pounds of cocaine Tuesday in Port Everglades worth an estimated $466 million wholesale seized in international waters in the Eastern Pacific Ocean.The drugs were interdicted off the coasts of Mexico, Central and South America and represent 21 separate, suspected drug smuggling vessel interdictions by the U.S. Coast Guard:The cutter Forward was responsible for eight cases seizing an estimated 14…

The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Hamilton is scheduled to offload approximately 7 tons of cocaine Tuesday in Port Everglades worth an estimated $190 million wholesale seized in international waters in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. The drugs were interdicted off the coasts of Mexico, Central and South America by multiple U.S. Coast Guard cutters. The cutter Hamilton was responsible for two cases, seizing an estimated 1,931 kilograms of cocaine. The Coast Guard Cutter Northland was responsible for two cases, seizing an estimated 2,871 kilograms of cocaine.

The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Confidence repatriated 12 Cuban migrants to Bahia de Cabañas, Cuba, Saturday. While on routine patrol a Coast Guard aircraft spotted a vessel with migrants aboard south of Marquesas Keys, Florida, Wednesday. The aircraft notified Coast Guard Sector Key West watchstanders who quickly diverted the Coast Guard Cutter Venturous to the scene. Upon arriving on scene, the Venturous crew embarked 14 Cuban migrants including 10 men and four women. Twelve Cuban migrants were later transferred to the Coast Guard Cutter Confidence for repatriation. Two migrants were medevaced with medical concerns to Key West, Florida.

The Coast Guard interdicted a Mexican fishing crew poaching in South Texas, Thursday, after it was pursued by a Coast Guard aircraft and intercepted by the 87-foot Coast Guard Cutter Cobia. In an unrelated incident after intercepting the lancha, a crewmember from the Cobia fell and was injured, requiring a medevac. A 25-foot Mexican fishing boat, also known as a lancha, was spotted by a civilian aircraft fishing 30 miles offshore and 72 miles north of the U.S./Mexican border at approximately 2 p.m. The aircraft immediately notified Coast Guard Sector Corpus Christi, who launched an aircrew aboard an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter to identify and pursue the lancha. The aircrew coordinated with the Cutter Cobia to intercept as the lancha began to flee south toward Mexican waters.

The 557-foot United Kingdom-flagged motor vessel Seagate collided with the 492-foot Liberia-flagged motor vessel Timor Stream approximately 60 miles northeast of Isle de Tortue, Haiti. It was reported the motor vessel Seagate was taking on water, and had 21 crewmembers aboard, 18 of whom boarded life rafts, while the remaining three crew members remained aboard to assess the damage. Of the 18 crewmembers who boarded life rafts, 17 were recovered by the motor vessel Timor Stream, and one was recovered by a good Samaritan motor yacht Battered Bull.

The Coast Guard Cutter Tornado will welcome its new Commanding Officer during a change-of-command ceremony at the Naval Station in Pascagoula, Miss. on Fridayy. Lt. Cmdr. Robert J. Landolfi Jr. will relieve Lt. Cmdr. Christopher Hollingshead who served as the Commanding Officer of the Tornado for the past two years. Hollingshead assumed command of Coast Guard Cutter Tornado in October 2004. Tornado is one of five 179-foot Cyclone-class Patrol Coastal cutters (PC-179s) transferred to the Coast Guard from the Navy. Tornado rapidly proved ideally-suited for Coast Guard operations as it deployed in support of the Coast Guard counter-drug, alien migrant interdiction, homeland security, and search and rescue missions in the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Sea, Florida Straits, and Atlantic Ocean.