(EDITOR’S NOTE: The U.S. Coast Guard said nine people were rescued. The Virgin Islands Port Authority confirmed Wednesday the number was eight. This story has been updated to reflect that)
An eagle-eyed Port Authority employee rescued eight people from an overturned dinghy between Water Island and Crown Bay Sunday night, officials said Tuesday.
When eight Water Island visitors missed the last boat back to St. Thomas, a helpful dinghy driver offered to ferry the crew to Crown Bay. It didn’t go well, Coast Guard officials said.
Around 7:30 p.m., Port Authority Harbor Pilot Marcus Compton was navigating a cargo ship near Mosquito Point in Crown Bay Harbor when he spotted the overturned boat. Compton quickly called the VIPA pilot boat Edmund Steele, operated by Coxswain Angelo Freeman and Crewman Al Roberts Jr., to aid the capsized vessel.
Freeman and Roberts successfully rescued the former dinghy riders from the water. No one was injured.
In the meantime, the U.S. Coast Guard scrambled emergency aircraft in San Juan and marine units on St. Thomas, Coast Guard officials said. The aircraft was canceled once they learned that the Port Authority had completed the rescue.
The soggy passengers were taken to the excursion dock at the Austin “Babe” Monsanto Marine Terminal in Crown Bay and handed over to the Coast Guard for further assistance, said Port Authority officials. Port Authority initially said it was eight people rescued, not nine. It was not immediately clear who was correct, the Coast Guard or Port Authority.
A good Samaritan recovered the dinghy and tied it up at Water Island ferry dock, Coast Guard officials said.
