Simpson bay, Sint Maarten — On Tuesday, April 7th, in the afternoon the crew of the Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard cutter ship Poema, received a Mayday distress call on VHF radio channel 16. A vessel located on French territorial waters was in urgent need of assistance. The captain reported that the boat was rapidly taking on a large amount of water, causing the onboard water level to rise significantly.
The Poema immediately set course to the vessel’s location. Upon arrival, the crew observed that another boat was already on scene and actively pumping water from the distressed vessel.
The Coast Guard crew quickly took control of the situation and deployed a larger pump to accelerate the process. Once enough water had been removed, the vessel — along with its two occupants — was taken in tow and safely brought to Simpson Bay.
