Haitian Coast News

The U.S. Coast Guard assisted the Haitian Coast Guard stop approximately 70 Haitian migrants Sunday approximately 26 miles north of Cap Haïtien, Haiti.At approximately 1:30 a.m., the Coast Guard Cutter Vigilant (WMEC-617) crew sighted a roughly 40-foot Haitian freighter. The cutter Vigilant crew launched a smallboat crew to question the people aboard. Upon detection, the freighter changed course back south to Haiti. The cutter Vigilant crew continued to shadow the vessel while Coast Guard 7th District watchstanders contacted the Haitian Coast Guard.

A Coast Guard helicopter crew hoisted seven boaters from a disabled sailing vessel Monday approximately 14 miles west of Anse-Rouge, Haiti. Watchstanders with the Coast Guard 7th District command center received a request for assistance from the Haitian Coast Guard at 3 p.m. Monday for the sailing vessel Journey which was disabled and adrift with seven people aboard. The watchstanders launched a Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew forward deployed to Great Inagua, Bahamas. The helicopter crew arrived on scene and safely hoisted all seven boaters who were transferred ashore in Great Inagua.

U.S. The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) informs it is assisting the Haitian Coast Guard in searching for possible Haitian migrants in the water after it’s believed their sail freighter ran aground in Haitian territorial seas Wednesday. The Coast Guard received notification Thursday evening that 17 deceased bodies washed ashore in Haiti. The Haitian Coast Guard rescued 12 survivors but advised that 19 were still missing. The Haitian Coast Guard requested U.S. Coast Guard air assets to assist with the search. A Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk rescue helicopter crew forward deployed in Great Inagua , Bahamas, conducted a first light search Friday morning, searching between Cap Haitien, Haiti, and Port de Paix, Haiti, but did not find anything.

The Coast Guard Cutter Cypress is scheduled to return to Coast Guard Base Mobile, Ala., Thursday at about 1 p.m. The crew of Cypress deployed to Haiti Feb. 26 in support of Operation Able Sentry, the U.S. government's response to increased migration from Haiti, following Haiti's domestic unrest. While deployed, the crew took part in a variety of missions, including: alien migrant interdiction; law enforcement; aids to navigation; assisting the Coast Guard Maritime Safety and Security Team 91104, based out of Galveston, Texas; as well as assisting the U.S. Marines and the Haitian coast guard.

The Coast Guard Cutter Dauntless (WMEC-624) will arrive back in its homeport of Galveston, Wednesday morning. The cutter traveled more than 7,500 miles during a 49-day law enforcement patrol in the Caribbean Sea and the Straits of Florida. While patrolling off the coast of Key West, Fla, on July 13, the crew of the Dauntless rescued 16 Cuban migrants, who were packed onto a 20-foot open raft with a disabled engine. The Carnival Cruise Liner Imagination was first to discover the stranded migrants and immediately contacted the Coast Guard for assistance. At sunset the Dauntless arrived on scene and safely recovered the migrants. After caring and treating some of the migrants for dehydration and malnourishment, Dauntless transferred them to another U.S. Coast Guard patrol boat.