CG, Samaritan aid boaters

NEW ORLEANS - The Coast Guard and a good Samaritan vessel helped establish communications, dewater, and escort the Pleiades fishing vessel that was taking on water, with three people aboard, about 35 nautical miles south of Timbalier Island, La., in the Gulf of Mexico on Oct. 17. The CG received an Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacon activation alert at 8:49 a.m. that correlated with broken radio communications received at CG Sector New Orleans. The CG was unable to communicate with the Pleiades due to distance and heavy weather. The CG issued an urgent marine information broadcast asking nearby boaters to help; and launched a HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircraft to assist with locating and establishing communications. The good Samaritan offshore supply vessel Brad Dartez responded and assisted with radio communications. Crews from Air Station New Orleans, Aviation Training Center Mobile, Ala., and CG Station Grand Isle, La., assisted by providing an engineer, rescue swimmer and three dewatering pumps. A 45-foot Response Boat crew from CGS Grand Isle, as well as the good Samaritan vessel, escorted the Pleiades back to Port Fourchon, La. (Source: Coast Guard 10/17/19)