In a statement released this afternoon by the Coast Guard, we learned the following information:
BOSTON—The fishing vessel Creole Belle, whose crew was airlifted by a Coast Guard helicopter Thursday evening, remains disabled and adrift about 65 nautical miles southeast of Nantucket, Mass., today.
BOSTON—The fishing vessel Creole Belle, whose crew was airlifted by a Coast Guard helicopter Thursday evening, remains disabled and adrift about 65 nautical miles southeast of Nantucket, Mass., today.
An HH-60 Jayhawk helicopter from Air Station Cape Cod deployed a Self-Locating Datum Marker Buoy (SLDMB) about 10:20 a.m. today. The buoy is attached to the Creole Belle and transmits its location via satellite to the Coast Guard. Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England continues to issue a Safety Marine Information Broadcast alerting mariners operating in the vicinity of the Creole Belle.
Initially the Campbell was going to tow the Creole Belle towards Martha’s Vineyard . However, 12 to 14-foot seas and 30-knot winds prevented Campbell from safely taking the vessel in tow. The Coast Guard is working with the vessel owners to determine their intentions.
A Coast Guard helicopter arrived on scene with the Creole Belle about 7:45 p.m. Thursday night to hoist the three crewmen, George Bemaranbille of East Freetown, Mass., Michael O'Niel of Little Compton, R.I., and Kevin Mello, as well as two Coast Guardsmen from the Campbell who were injured while attempting to pass a towline.
The helicopter crew was unable to safely hoist the Creole Belle crewmen from their vessel, so they instructed the crewmen, who were wearing survival suits, to enter the water, one person at a time, upon the helicopter’s signal. Coast Guard rescue swimmer Petty Officer 2nd Class Chuck Ferrante entered the water from the helicopter and assisted each Creole Belle crewman into the basket to be hoisted by the helicopter. Ferrante repeated this process until all three crewmen were safely inside the helicopter.
“It was challenging because a big wave would come and the basket would drop 10-feet or so,” said Ferrante.
Additionaly, the Coast Guard provided a link to a video taken from their helicopter, on the scene.
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