A fishing vessel, the Ziggy III, towed a sailboat in distress to the safety of George Town harbor on Saturday, police reported.
According to the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service, shortly before 3 p.m. on Saturday, the 911 Communications Centre alerted officers to a report of a vessel in distress off the George Town waterfront.
The sailboat had experienced engine trouble and was drifting out to sea with three people on board.
The RCIPS police helicopter deployed to assist, along with a Joint Marine Unit vessel which had been on patrol in the North Sound. The helicopter crew located the vessel while the JMU vessel was en route, and contacted a nearby civilian fishing vessel to assist.
The crew of the Ziggy III responded immediately and were able to safely tow the sailboat to the George Town harbor.
“We are very grateful to the crew of the Ziggy III who did not hesitate to help,” said Neil Mohammed, deputy executive officer of the Air Operations Unit. “When incidents happen at sea, it is often civilian vessels already nearby who can respond most quickly, and they rarely hesitate to do so.
“This collaboration between law enforcement and private citizens is an important aspect of keeping Cayman and our waters safe.”
Related Videos
