USCG rescues 12 people from sinking ship in Cuban waters

Two U.S. Coast Guard helicopter crews rescued 12 people from their vessel taking on water in Cuban territorial seas Saturday.
Rescued were one Jamaican, two Nicaraguan, one U.S., and eight Haitian crewmembers, the USCG said.

On Saturday, watchstanders at the Coast Guard 7th District command center received notification that the Haitian Flagged, 120-ft coastal freighter, Granam ST Anne, was taking on water in Cuban territorial seas.

Watchstanders quickly ordered the launch of two helicopters including a Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater helicopter forward deployed in the Bahamas as part of Operation Bahamas Turks and Caicos and a Coast Guard Air Station Borinquen MH-65 Dolphin rescue helicopter.

Upon arriving on scene, the crew of the coastal freighter had already abandoned ship into a life raft. The Jayhawk helicopter crew safely hoisted nine of the crewmembers and the Dolphin helicopter crew hoisted the remaining three. All 12 were transferred to Great Inagua, Bahamas.

No medical concerns were reported.

The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's seven uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the U.S. military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission.