Regional effort underway to rescue local fisherfolk

(CNS): A regional effort is underway to rescue three people on board the Cayman-flagged Fishing Vessel (FV) Cardvern who have been stranded at sea since around 8:00am Sunday. Arrangements have been made to tow the boat to Swan Island by a Honduran search and rescue team, but it’s not clear when this will happen.

The Cayman Islands Coast Guard (CICG) received a distress call from the captain of the Cardvern just after 8:18am on Sunday, 1 June. The 36-foot vessel had lost a propeller and was experiencing difficulties approximately 159.37 nautical miles from Grand Cayman in the vicinity of Rosario Bank, at coordinates 18.6350° N, 84.1189° W, the CICG said in a release.

The CICG Operations Rescue Coordination Centre (ORCC) initiated international notifications protocols, including to the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) in the United Kingdom, the US Coast Guard District 7 in Miami, Florida, and the Central American Search and Rescue Centre (COCESNA) in Honduras.

The boat was at that time within Honduras’s designated Search and Rescue Region, so the authorities there assumed responsibility for rendering assistance to the Cardvern.

Around 8:27 Monday evening, the captain contacted the ORCC and reported that the Honduran authorities had contacted them and arranged to tow the vessel to Swan Islands, which are 78.68 nautical miles from where the boat was stranded. The local coast guard has since communicated with COCESNA and confirmed the development.

On Tuesday morning, the CICG said it remains in close communication with its international partners and is monitoring the situation closely to ensure the safety of those on board. Further updates will be provided as new information becomes available, officials said.