EIGHT occupants of a distressed vessel were safe and did not require any medical attention, according to the Department of Public Safety.
In a press statement on Wednesday, DPS said that on Tuesday, Sept. 3, at about 4:11 p.m. the U.S. Coast Guard reported receiving a distress signal from a vessel identified as “Rose 1.”
“DPS Marine Patrol Section was told [that the] distressed vessel [was] located 27 miles northwest of Saipan,” Assistant Chief of Police Simon Manacop said.
“MPS launched its Impact vessel and made contact with the distressed vessel at around 6:45 p.m. The vessel was towed back to the Smiling Cove Marina where [it] arrived safely at 10:24 p.m. The 25-foot vessel had eight occupants…. [They] did not require any medical attention,” Manacop added.
“The officers learned that the group had launched from Smiling Cove Marina at around 1 a.m. on Monday Sept. 2. They arrived at Anatahan…around 6:30 a.m. and began fishing. The next day, they started to make their way back to Saipan around 9:30 p.m. when the boat began experiencing mechanical issues. At about 1 p.m., the captain of the vessel…activated its radio distress signal.”
DPS said its MPS officers inspected the vessel and found that it complied with all boating laws and regulations.
