Seventh Coast Guard District Public Affairs Office
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| Press Release | Date: April 18, 2006 Contact: Ricardo Castrodad (787) 510-7923 |
Coast Guard responds to U.S. Virgin Islands' DOJ plane crash off Saint Thomas |
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - The U.S. Coast Guard responded today, along with local and territorial partners, to a downed U.S. Virgin Islands' Department of Justice airplane in waters near Saint Thomas airport. All seven passengers, one pilot, two guards and four prisoners were rescued by a Good Samaritan from the Piper multi-engine aircraft. The survivors were transferred from the Good Samaritan's vessel to a Coast Guard rescue boat and subsequently transported to land. Once ashore, the crash survivors were transferred to Saint Thomas Police and Emergency Management Technicians. All survivors were transported by local authorities to the Roy Lester Schneider Hospital, Saint Thomas, to receive medical care. The Coast Guard received a report of a downed aircraft at approximately 9:13 a.m. today from the Air Traffic Control Tower in U.S. Virgin Islands, Saint Thomas. It was reported that the aircraft was transferring the prisoners from U.S. Virgin Islands, Saint Croix to a scheduled court appointment in Saint Thomas. The Coast Guard immediately dispatched a 25-foot response boat to the scene from Coast Guard Marine Safety Detachment, Saint Thomas. All passengers were recovered safely by the Good Samaritan vessel M2R Duck, that was in the area at the time the aircraft went down. The crew of the M2R Duck transferred all passengers to the Coast Guard response boat. A Seaborne Airlines aircraft circling overhead was able to relay information of the crash site to the Saint Thomas Air Traffic Control Tower. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the incident. "We have an increased Coast Guard presence here in Saint Thomas," said Chief Petty Officer Jaime Balzac. "We were able to respond quickly to this aircraft crash, it's the fifth Search and Rescue case our boat crews have been involved with in the past three days. We have developed a great relationship with local authorities like the local Department of Natural Resources, Saint Thomas Police, and VITEMA. It's been especially rewarding during this case, where all the passengers have been rescued alive." ### |
The U.S. Coast Guard is a military, maritime, multi-mission service within the |
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