Editor's note: to hear the distress call between the Coast Guard and the Sea Heather, click the photo above.
CHARLESTON, S.C. — The Coast Guard is escorting two distressed mariners back to Charleston, South Carolina, Tuesday.
The two mariners, Justin Mckenna and Gabriella Sajardo, both 35 years old, are reported to be in good condition with no injuries.
Along with the two mariners, the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Tarpon is towing their 38-foot sailing vessel, the Sea Heather to anchorage in Charleston. At their current speed, the Cutter Tarpon crew is scheduled to arrive in Charleston Wednesday morning. Once at the Charleston sea buoy, the tow will be transferred from the Coast Guard to Towboat U.S.
The Tarpon crew rendezvoused with two distressed mariners aboard a sailing vessel Tuesday morning approximately 133 miles southeast of Charleston. At the time, the Sea Heather mariners’ only medical concerns included exhaustion and sea-sickness.
Watchstanders at the Coast Guard Sector Charleston command center were notified of the situation via marine radio, VHF-FM Channel 16 at 7:12 a.m., Monday. The mariners stated their vessel was beset by weather and that they were too exhausted to continue sailing.
A crew aboard an HC-130 Hercules airplane from Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, North Carolina, was launched to respond at 8:54 p.m. Monday. The Hercules crew got on scene with the vessel at 10:12 p.m., and established communications.
The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Tarpon, an 87-foot Marine Protector-Class patrol boat, was launched to respond at approximately 9 p.m. Monday.
The crew of the commercial tug boat OSG Horizon was on scene with the distressed vessel to monitor their situation until the Tarpon arrived.
The OSG Horizon is a ship registered with the Automated Mutual-Assistance Vessel Rescue System. AMVER is a computer-based voluntary global ship reporting system used worldwide by search and rescue authorities to arrange for assistance to persons in distress at sea.
For more information contact the Coast Guard Seventh District Public Affairs Detachment Jacksonville at 305-318-1864.