Three French people, a Greek national, and a dog were rescued in waters north of Montserrat after their yacht began taking in water.
On May 19, a crew lead by Captain Darroux responded to a May Day call around seven nautical miles north of Montserrat, according to the Royal Montserrat Police Force.
A yacht named Palma arrived at the site with five people on board. Their ship was taking in water at an alarming rate at the time. After assessing the situation, Captain Darroux directed the five-member group, which included a dog, to abandon ship and board the mv Heliconia Star.
Captain Basil, a Greek national, and three French nationalities made up the four-man crew. When the terrible situation occurred, the rescued group was sailing from St. Kitts to Guadeloupe, with plans to continue on to Martinique.
A team from the Montserrat Fire and Rescue Service, commanded by Fire Officer Sheldon White, arrived to Port Little Bay to provide medical help. The Montserrat Red Cross was alerted to the incident and graciously supplied personal effects to assist.
A joint effort from the Housing Department and Social Services provided additional assistance, with preparations made to provide them with temporary housing.
The police reported that even though Captain Basil’s vessel perished, he was grateful, as were the others who were rescued. On May 20, plans were made for the rescued party to be transported to Guadeloupe.
Ashore Designated Person Courtney Rodney continues to emphasize the significance of having life-saving equipment on board, such as a functional radio, flares, and life jackets, since it proved crucial in saving the rescue party’s lives once again.
