Cutter Thetis News

The U.S. Coast Guard medically evacuated the Captain of the 734-foot Singapore-flagged containership M/V Maersk Batam, approximately 100 nautical miles south of Puerto Rico, Monday night.The containership captain, a U.K. citizen, was experiencing life threatening symptoms of a possible stroke during the ship’s transit from St. Marta, Colombia to their next scheduled port call in Southhampton, England.Coast Guard Sector San Juan watchstanders received the medevac request at 9:55 a.m. Monday from the M/V Maersk Batam, as the ship was transiting 175 nautical miles southwest of Mona Island, Puerto Rico. Coast Guard watchstanders launched a Coast Guard MH-65D helicopter crew from Air Station Borinquen to conduct the medevac…

The Coast Guard repatriated 18 Dominican migrants Friday morning to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, following two at-sea interdictions by Caribbean Border Interagency Group law enforcement authorities Tuesday just off Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. In addition to the 18 migrants that were repatriated, eight of the interdicted migrants, who were men and also of Dominican nationality, are facing potential federal criminal immigration charges for attempted illegal reentry into a U.S. Territory. “The quick response and coordination by the Caribbean Border Interagency Group agencies involved allowed for the safe interdiction and removal of 26 migrants from a dangerous situation,” said Capt. Eric P. King, Coast Guard Sector San Juan commander.

The U.S. Coast Guard will offload more than 47,000 pounds of cocaine worth over $721 million Thursday at 9:30 a.m., which was seized in 23 separate interdictions in the eastern Pacific Ocean by U.S. and Canadian forces operating in international waters off the coast of Central and South America. Senior U.S. and Canadian officials will be at the offload to discuss new tactics used by transnational organized crime groups and to highlight international cooperation in combating the threat posed by these dangerous groups. U.S.

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.

The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Thetis, a 270-foot medium endurance cutter based out of Key West, Florida, is scheduled to return to homeport Tuesday at 11:45 a.m. following a 59 day patrol in the Caribbean Sea. During a patrol off the coasts of central and South America, the crew of the Thetis worked in conjunction with multiple countries and partner agencies to slow the flow of illegal drugs into the United States. The unified effort resulted in the interdiction of a suspected drug smuggling vessel transporting approximately 600 kilograms of cocaine, worth an estimated wholesale value of $19 million. During the interdiction, the Thetis utilized its embarked armed Coast Guard helicopter to stop the vessel.

At 270 feet and weighing in at 1,646 tons, Coast Guard Cutter Thetis is equipped with the necessary equipment to perform law enforcement, search and rescue, homeland security and national defense missions. To stay mission ready, the ship’s equipment requires routine maintenance usually handled by the crew, but occasionally more attention is needed. Cue the Coast Guard Yard in Baltimore, Md. One of the many specialized groups working at the yard is the ordnance shop’s MK75 planned depot maintenance team.

The Coast Guard Cutter Thetis sails in formation with maritime forces from Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Germany, Mexico, Peru, The United States and Uruguay off the coast of Florida during UNITAS Gold, April 23. The maritime forces are participating in the 50th iteration of the annual multi-national maritime exercise to increase interoperability among participating navies. (US Coast Guard Photo by Petty Officer Seth Johnson)

The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Thetis rescued three shrimp fishermen this morning at about 8:00 from the fishing vessel Dona Nelly after being in the water for 45 minutes when their vessel sank 15 miles off the coast of Brownsville, Texas. The Thetis, a 270-foot cutter, was patrolling off the coast of Texas when it received word that a shipboard distress signal had been activated in the area. When crew of the Thetis arrived on scene, they found a debris field more than a mile in diameter filled with diesel fuel and the remnants of the fishing vessel. The three crewmembers were found huddled together, hanging onto the hatch of a fish hold. The three fishermen, aged 53, 23, and 20 were recovered with minor injuries and were treated for shock.