News

The 'Seneca' repatriated 99 migrants to Haiti on April 1, 2025, following an interdiction approximately 35 miles north of Cap-Haitien, Haiti. A Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations aircrew notified Coast Guard District Seven watchstanders on March 27, of an approximate 35-foot overloaded vessel transiting north toward the Turks and Caicos Islands. Once aboard the Coast Guard cutter, the migrants were processed to determine their identity and were provided food, water, shelter, and basic medical attention before the repatriation. Report with photos: https://wsbt.com/news/nation-world/coast-guard-returns-99-haitians-after-intercepting-overloaded-boat-off-haitis-coast-customs-and-border-patrol-turks-and-caicos-april-1-2025?photo=1

The CCS Tenerife of Salvamento Marítimo coordinated the rescue of 68 migrants on April 1. The 'Salvamar Acrux' was deployed to assist a boat with 68 sub-Saharan Africans on board. It was escorted to La Restinga, where the disembarkation took place at 1:39 a.m. LT. The 'Salvamar Adhara' rescued 71 sub-Saharan Africans, among them one minor, 11 nautical miles southeast of Hierro. They were disembarkeed in La Restinga at 10:05 a.m. The CCS Las Palmas of Salvamento Marítimo deployed the 'Guardamar Talía' to a rubber dinghy with 55 migrants on board. They were transported to Puerto del Rosario. On the morning of April 1, the Guardamar Talía' rescued the occupants of three rubber boats in the waters of Lanzarote, which were carrying 54, 68, and 64 people respectively. All 186 migrants were transferred to the port of Arrecife, where they received medical and law enforcement attention. Reports with photos: https://x.com/salvamentogob/status/1907334617817813492 Report with photo: https://x.com/salvamentogob/status/1907007799596650660

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will convene a public board meeting on April 15, 2025, to determine what caused the fire aboard the 'Grande Costa D’Avorio', that claimed the lives of two firefighters in Newark, New Jersey on July 5, 2023. It had started when a pusher vehicle, which was operated by shoreside workers, caught fire while loading cars on an interior garage deck. At the time of the incident, the vessel, operated by Grimaldi Group, was carrying approximately 1,200 vehicles and 157 containers. The operator confirmed there were no electric vehicles or hazardous cargo aboard. Two firefighters became disoriented in the smoke-filled decks and died. Six additional emergency responders sustained injuries during the response operations. “The local fire department responding to the incident had little to no maritime firefighting training, experience, or familiarization with cargo ships of any type,” according to preliminary findings from the ongoing Coast Guard investigation. The U.S. Coast Guard, conducting a parallel investigation, has already held public hearings examining the vessel’s condition, cargo loading procedures, and the initial response by both ship’s crew and local firefighters. In response to the incident, the Coast Guard issued Marine Safety Alert 09-23 in Nov 2023, calling for improved coordination of marine firefighting preparation efforts nationwide:. “Vessel fires require more firefighting resources and different technical skills than many land-based firefighting agencies traditionally possess,” the Coast Guard investigators noted. The situation is further complicated by language barriers between international crews and local first responders, particularly during high-stress emergencies. During the upcoming meeting, the NTSB board will vote on findings, probable cause, and safety recommendations, potentially leading to changes in the draft final report. Both the Coast Guard and NTSB will issue separate investigation reports aimed at enhancing maritime and first-responder safety to prevent similar incidents.

The CCS Tenerife of Salvamento Marítimo coordinated the rescue of 68 migrants on April 1. The 'Salvamar Acrux' was deployed to assist a boat with 68 sub-Saharan Africans on board. It was escorted to La Restinga, where the disembarkation took place at 1:39 a.m. LT. The 'Salvamar Adhara' rescued 71 sub-Saharan Africans, among them one minor, 11 nautical miles southeast of Hierro. They were disembarkeed in La Restinga at 10:05 a.m. The CCS Las Palmas of Salvamento Marítimo deployed the 'Guardamar Talía' to a rubber dinghy with 55 migrants on board. They were transported to Puerto del Rosario. Report with photo: https://x.com/salvamentogob/status/1907007799596650660

The 'Loch Shira', serving on the route Largs - Cumbrae, suffered a technical issue with the main engine on April 1 and had to be removed from servie, while repairs were commenced in the port of Largs. After the issue has been resolved, the vessel resumed its sailings with the departure at 03:45 p.m. from Largs.