A dramatic open-sea rescue operation has ended with a successful outcome for six missing fishermen, who have been pulled from their disabled vessel alive in waters off Trinidad and Tobago, the nation’s Ministry of Defence confirmed in an official announcement Wednesday.
The chain of events that led to the rescue began on Tuesday evening, when the Maritime Operations Command Center received an urgent distress alert from the crew of the MV Marvel Kite, a commercial merchant ship traveling to the United States. At approximately 9 p.m. local time, while sailing roughly 349 nautical miles east of Galeota on a westbound course, the merchant vessel’s crew spotted the struggling fishing boat, identified as the ST Vincent VII.
When the crew of the MV Marvel Kite maneuvered closer to assess the situation, they made a hopeful discovery: all six people on board the fishing vessel matched the identities of the crew that had been reported missing days earlier. In a reassuring update, the ministry shared that all six fishermen were in fairly stable health, with no major injuries requiring immediate emergency care.
Following the initial sighting and confirmation, the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard launched a coordinated response, dispatching cutter CG42, under the command of Lieutenant Commander Straker, to meet the MV Marvel Kite at sea. The mission of the Coast Guard crew was to take custody of the rescued fishermen and transport them back to shore. Officials confirmed that the group was on track to reach land within four hours of the Coast Guard’s departure.
In the wake of the successful rescue, the Trinidad and Tobago government issued a public statement of gratitude to the crew of the MV Marvel Kite, crediting their quick reporting and willingness to intervene as critical to the positive outcome. Authorities added that they would release additional details to the public as more information becomes available following the fishermen’s arrival on land.