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| News Release |
Date: Contact: |
| Coast Guard Cutter Valiant's crew returns to Miami |
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The crew of the Miami-based cutter Valiant operated the cutter Diligence, homeported in Wilmington, N.C., while Valiant is undergoing a major overhaul at the Coast Guard Yard in Baltimore. While in the Windward Passage, the crew rescued 242 Haitian migrants aboard a 44-foot sailing vessel in turbulent winds and seas, conditions that threatened to destroy the small craft. The crew's tireless efforts resulted in the safe transfer of 242 migrants including 40 women, 37 children and one infant. Three days later, the 242 Haitian migrants were safely returned to Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Valiant's crew also participated in an international search-and-rescue case while working closely with the Dominican Republic coast guard. While transiting north of the Dominican Republic, Valiant's crew received a request for assistance from the Dominican Republic coast guard in the search for a disabled vessel. The crew diverted immediately and coordinated a search effort with a Dominican Republic ship in hopes of rescuing the disabled vessel and its stranded passengers. As the sun began to set, a Valiant crewmember spotted the light of a small pleasure craft. The Dominican Republic ship was swiftly vectored to that location by the Valiant crew and assisted the vessel, transporting all four mariners safely back to land. "This patrol has been very rewarding," said Lt. j.g. Jonathan Ladyga, Valiant's deck department supervisor. "We rescued 246 people from what could have been bleak circumstances. I feel very proud of what the crew has accomplished. It's a great feeling because they are proud of themselves, each other and the entire unit. This is what we are here to do and we have done it well." The cutter Valiant is due to return to Miami Beach, Fla., in the upcoming months. |
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