The fishing vessel Bonanza surrounded by smaller vessels during the rescue of four U.S. boaters from a life raft in Atlantic Ocean waters north of Dominican Republic, Jan. 21, 2025. U.S. Coast Guard
The U.S. Coast Guard, the commercial containership El Coquí, and fishing vessel Bonanza successfully rescued four American sailors from a life raft in the Silver Bank waters north of the Dominican Republic.
The incident began when the sailing vessel Mariposa struck a submerged rock and was overcome by waves, causing it to roll and eventually sink. The four survivors – David Potts (63), John Potts (62), Andrew Cullar (26), and Russel Case (67) – were forced to abandon their vessel during its voyage from St. Croix to Portofino, Texas.
The rescue operation was initiated after Coast Guard Sector San Juan received an emergency beacon signal approximately 180 miles northwest of Puerto Rico. Crowley’s 720-foot container ship El Coquí diverted from its San Juan to Jacksonville route to assist in the rescue.
In a dramatic series of events, a Coast Guard HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircraft located the life raft and coordinated with nearby vessels. The fishing vessel Bonanza, after being alerted through a series of low passes by the aircraft, successfully retrieved the survivors from shoal waters. The survivors were then transferred to the El Coquí for transportation to Jacksonville, Florida, with no reported medical concerns.
“This incident underscores the importance of proper emergency equipment for vessels at sea,” stated Lt. Hannah M. Boyce, Coast Guard HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircraft commander. “We are all incredibly thankful those mariners were properly equipped”.
The successful rescue was aided by the vessel’s registered emergency beacon, which provided crucial vessel profile information through the Search and Rescue Satellite Aided Tracking (SARSAT) system. The incident showcases the effectiveness of the AMVER system, a voluntary global ship-reporting system that enables search and rescue authorities to coordinate assistance for mariners in distress.
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