Fishermen help Coast Guard crew rescue 4 Americans from life raft in Atlantic Ocean | Global News Avenue

Fishermen helped Coast Guard crews rescue four Americans trapped in a life raft in the Atlantic Ocean north of the Dominican Republic, officials said Wednesday.

David Potts, John Potts, Andrew Cullar and Russel Case sailing the Mariposa from St. Croix Heading to Texas with a planned stop at Coast Guard Station Key West said in a press releasewhich includes dramatic video of the rescue. They had to abandon ship after the boat struck a rock, rolled, hit another rock and began to sink.

Early Tuesday morning, Coast Guard watchstanders at the San Juan Command Center received a possible distress alert from an emergency locator radio beacon. The lighthouse is located approximately 180 miles northwest of Puerto Rico. Crews on duty directed a plane taking off from Bolincon Airport in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, to search for signs of distress.

The watch also issued a call for vessels in the area to be aware of possible danger. The El Coquí, a 720-foot container ship en route from San Juan, Puerto Rico to Jacksonville, Florida, diverted to search the area.

Coast Guard crews quickly located the life raft. They also found a fishing boat called the “Bonanza” in the area, along with several smaller boats. The Coast Guard conducted a series of low-altitude flights to get the attention of the Bonanza crew. The crew of the Bonanza were then directed to life rafts.

The fishermen successfully approached the life raft and rescued the survivors. The Bonanza crew then transported the survivors to El Coquí. The El Coquí carried the survivors on to Jacksonville.

The ship is expected to arrive in Jacksonville on Thursday. The Coast Guard said there were no reports of medical issues for the four people.

The Coast Guard said the incident showed that registered emergency beacons can save lives during emergencies. Beacons must be registered with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration American beacon registration.