| Office of Public Affairs U.S. Coast Guard Seventh District |
|
|
| Press Release |
Date: June 3, 2005 Contact: Lt.j.g. Eric Willis |
|
SAILOR LOST AT SEA, TWO RESCUED FREDERIKSTEAD, U.S. Virgin Islands - Responding to an emergency radio beacon, a Coast Guard HU-25 Falcon jet located the 32- foot sailing vessel "Sonny & Jer" disabled and adrift after their mast fell overboard taking one of the crew with it. Peter Church, 22, of Clearwater, Fla., was reportedly knocked unconscious and became entangled while attempting to make repairs to the sails. During attempts by remaining crewmembers to untangle Church from the riggings, the mast broke off and fell into the Caribbean Sea. Forty-two year old Sean Riley, jumped into the water to free Church but was unsuccessful because Church remained entangled 20-30 feet below the surface. Fearing the broken rigging would soon puncture the vessels hull, Riley and the vessels owner 60-year-old Gerald Listokin, cut the rigging from the deck and it sank, Church was not seen again. The Coast Guard jet and two merchant ships the Team Mars and Tmoz assisted in the search where Church was last seen. The Dutch navy vessel Van Speijk which was nearby also joined the search efforts. Deployed aboard Van Speijk is a U.S. Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment who interviewed Riley and Listokin, while the Van Speijk's helicopter crew searched the area for the missing boater. Van Speijk, towed the sailing vessel into Frederiksted, USVI. "It was only because the sailboat had an EPIRB that we knew they needed help," said Chief Warrant Officer Marcy Hernandez, a Sector San Juan Coast Guard controller. "Fortunately, two lives were saved," he added. ### The U.S. Coast Guard is a military, maritime, multi-mission service within the |
printer friendly