A Coast Guard HU-25 Falcon aircrew from Air Station Miami assess the condition of the sailboat Emanuel Saturday. The 37-foot
sailing vessel became disabled after one of its masts was damaged Friday.  U.S. Coast Guard photo.

KEY WEST, Fla. -- The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Ocracoke responded Saturday to the 37-foot Canadian-flagged sailboat named Emanuel with seven people aboard that became disabled after one of their masts was damaged Friday.

Watchstanders at the Seventh Coast Guard District Command Center in Miami received the initial call Friday at 2 p.m. from a member of the Maritime Mobility Service Network, a network of amateur radio operators, who stated he received a radio call from the crew of the Emanuel. The crew reported that the Emanuel's mast was damaged 285 miles west of Key West and they were heading to the Dry Tortugas National Park, Dry Tortugas, Fla., under auxiliary power.

A crewmember from the cutter Forward transfers drugs to a Royal Bahamas Police Force official during the boarding of the Lada Tamara Jan. 27, 2010.
Crews located more than 360 pounds of cocaine and 46 pounds of marijuana.  U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Sabrina Elgammal.

MIAMI - Two law-enforcement boarding teams from the Coast Guard Cutter Forward assisted Royal Bahamian Police Force officials and U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency agents Wednesday in locating more than 360 pounds of cocaine and 46 pounds of marijuana hidden within a Haitian-flagged vessel.

The crew of the Forward detected the 65-foot motor vessel Lady Tamara running without its navigational lights energized at night from Haiti to the Bahamas, and notified Royal Bahamian Police Force officials of the vessel entering Bahamian territorial seas.  Royal Bahamian Police Force officials contacted the Coast Guard for technical assistance with the dockside boarding of the Lady Tamara in Matthew Town, Bahamas. During the course of the boarding, crews located more than 360 pounds of cocaine and 46 pounds of marijuana hidden within the vessel's fuel tank. All five Haitian crewmembers and the contraband were transferred to Bahamian officials for further investigation.

"This is another excellent example of international cooperation among law-enforcement agencies working together to keep illegal drugs off the streets," said Coast Guard Cmdr. Diane Durham, commanding officer of the cutter Forward.

The cutter Forward is a 270-foot medium-endurance cutter homeported in Portsmouth, Va.
 

KEY WEST, Fla. - The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Pea Island returned to Key West Sunday following a 21-day deployment. The crew worked for Coast Guard Sector San Juan, Puerto Rico conducting alien migrant interdiction operations, counter-narcotics efforts, living marine resource enforcement, ports waterways and coastal security, and supported search-and-rescue missions. Crewmembers also worked to support earthquake relief operations off the coast of Haiti.

During their patrol, the crew of the Pea Island interdicted a vessel 15 miles southwest of Puerto Rico with eight Dominican migrants attempting to illegally enter Puerto Rico. After bringing the migrants aboard the Pea Island, the crew identified one of the migrants who had attempted to enter the U.S. multiple times. The crew transferred the migrant to authorities in Puerto Rico for further investigation and possible prosecution by the U.S. Attorneys Office and repatriated the remaining seven migrants to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

In support of earthquake response efforts, the crew of the Pea Island patrolled the north coast of Haiti compiling images of the coastline and several ports to assess damages caused by the earthquake. 

"This was a great opportunity for the crew to see a broad range of Coast Guard missions," said Lt. Emile Cochet, commanding officer of the Pea Island. "I could not be happier with the outstanding inter-agency coordination during our time working for Sector San Juan. I am also very pleased that we were able to take part in such a tremendous operation supporting the people of Haiti."

Coast Guard Cutter Pea Island is a 110-foot patrol boat homeported in Key West. 

MIAMI - A private salvor hired by Seaboard Marine recovered two containers Friday that fell overboard from the vessel Seaboard Intrepid 30 miles south of Key West, Fla., Monday.

The containers were recovered off Miami Beach, Fla., and towed into the Port of Miami Friday afternoon by P&L Towing, the company hired by Seaboard Marine.  Once in the port, the containers were removed from the water.

The Coast Guard confirmed one container sank Friday in approximately 250 feet of water five miles off Miami Beach.  Seaboard Marine and the Coast Guard will continue to search for any remaining adrift containers through the weekend and will continue to issue Broadcast Notice to Mariners of the containers' last known position.

All mariners transiting through the area should keep a sharp lookout and report all container sightings to the Coast Guard at 305-535-4472.

MIAMI – Seaboard Marine has reported that no hazardous material was contained in any of the missing containers that fell overboard from the vessel Seaboard Intrepid, Monday, 30 miles off Key West, Fla.

Coast Guard officials have cross-referenced the original cargo manifest and concur with Seaboard Marine’s assessment that the majority of the containers that fell overboard were empty, with a few containing non-hazardous materials such as cloth and textiles.

The Seaboard Intrepid, a 544-foot container ship, reported to the Coast Guard that approximately 30 containers fell overboard while they were transiting offshore near the Florida Keys. Of those, seven empty refrigerated containers are believed to be partially sunk and adrift.  Seaboard Marine and Coast Guard units have sighted five of the seven containers, 12 to 25 miles offshore of Miami. Twenty-three containers are believed to be sunk in deep water off the Florida Keys. Efforts to locate the two remaining containers continue. 

A team consisting of representatives from the Coast Guard, the Environmental Protection Agency, the State of Florida and other environmental stakeholders approved a plan presented by Seaboard Marine to dispose of the partially-submerged containers Thursday. In this plan, Seaboard Marine proposed marking all remaining afloat containers with a strobe light and an emergency position-indicating radio beacon to track their movement. In addition, Seaboard Marine agreed to sink the afloat containers in a water depth between 500 to 1,300 feet, and not in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.

Seaboard Marine is responsible for the recovery and salvage of the adrift containers and will assume the search for the two additional containers believed to remain afloat. Because the partially-submerged containers could pose a threat to commercial traffic in the area, Coast Guard units from Key West to Miami have worked to track the semi-submerged containers using aircraft and a datum marker buoy. Information on currents and predicted drift patterns was provided to the Coast Guard by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 

The Coast Guard continues to issue a Broadcast Notice to Mariners warning mariners of the containers' last known position.  The BNM is issued every hour and 15 minutes.

The U.S. Coast Guard is a military, maritime, multi-mission service within the
Department of Homeland Security dedicated to protecting the safety and security of America.

Approximately 30 containers fell off the deck of Seaboard's Intrepid, a 544-foot container ship, Monday night 30 miles
south of Key West, Fla. The contents of the overboard containers is currently unknown. U.S. Coast Guard photo.

MIAMI - The Seaboard Intrepid, a cargo ship that had approximately 30 containers fall in the water 30 miles off of Key West, Fla., Monday, was allowed by the Coast Guard to enter the Port of Miami Tuesday evening.  
 
The Captain of the Port for Miami, Coast Guard Capt. Jim Fitton, established a Unified Command consisting of the Coast Guard, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, and representatives from Seaboard Marine to ensure representation from all stakeholders involved in the vessel's safe transit and continued operation.  Following the Coast Guard's review and approval of the vessel's environmental assessment as completed by Seaboard Shipping, the Unified Command unanimously agreed to permit the vessel to enter the port late Tuesday.  As an added safety measure, the Coast Guard temporarily restricted commercial traffic in and out of the port during the Seaboard Intrepid's transit and established a safety zone around the vessel.  Coast Guard Auxiliary vessels and a Miami-Dade County Marine Unit enforced the safety zone.  The vessel was tied up to the pier at approximately 8 p.m. Tuesday.
 
Seaboard Shipping will remove the remaining containers aboard the vessel after the Coast Guard has received, reviewed and approved a site safety plan and cargo discharge plan. 

"Our primary concern is the safety of the individuals involved in this operation, the port and the environment," Fitton said.  
 
Coast Guard units from Key West to Miami have attempted to track the semi-submerged containers using aircraft and a datum marker buoy. Information on the currents and predicted drift patterns provided to the Coast Guard by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration are also being used to monitor the few remaining adrift containers, last reported 27 miles southeast of Tavernier Key, Fla.  Seaboard Shipping is responsible for the recovery and salvage of the adrift containers.  The company has not yet determined the contents of the overboard containers and there is no plan on recovering the sunken containers.
 
The Coast Guard continues to broadcast a notice to mariners, keeping mariners apprised of the drifting containers. All mariners transiting through the area should keep a sharp lookout and report all container sightings to the Coast Guard at 305-292-8727. 

MIAMI - Coast Guard crews are responding to a report Tuesday of about 30 containers that fell off the deck from Seaboard's 544-foot container ship Intrepid, approximately 30 miles south of Key West, Fla., Monday.

Watchstanders at the Coast Guard Sector Key West Command Center were notified at approximately 5 p.m. Monday from the master of the Intrepid stating the shipping containers had fallen in the water and were reported to have sunk.

An HU-25 Falcon aircrew from Coast Guard Air Station Miami was launched to assess the situation Monday.  Once on scene, the aircrew located a few containers still floating.  During a second HU-25 Falcon flight Tuesday, no containers were located.

Personnel from Seaboard shipping are determining the contents of the overboard containers.  Seaboard shipping is currently working with Coast Guard Sector Miami personnel to conduct a full assessment of the vessel to ensure safe return to the Port of Miami. Once at the port, an in-depth survey will be conducted to facilitate the safe removal of the cargo.

The Coast Guard advises all mariners transiting through the area to proceed with caution and report any container sightings to the Coast Guard.

KEY WEST, Fla. -- A Coast Guard boatcrew from Station Marathon, Fla., rescued two people approximately one mile south of Duck Key, Fla., Monday night after their canoe capsized during rough weather conditions.

The U.S. Coast Guard is a military, maritime, multi-mission service within the
Department of Homeland Security dedicated to protecting the safety and security of America.