An elderly couple were rescued by the Cayman Islands Coast Guard after their sailing boat ran aground on the reef off Barkers this week.
The couple, who apparently live and travel on the boat, got into difficulties in rough weather off the coast of Villas Pappagallo on Monday night.
A mooring buoy for a nearby dive site is understood to have become tangled in the boat’s propeller, causing it to lose steering. The boat was pushed by waves onto the shallow reef just offshore.
Police and the Coast Guard were on scene Monday night, with the police helicopter hovering overhead and casting a spotlight on the water as officers, assisted by members of the public, manoeuvred to bring the couple to safety.
An initial attempt to free the vessel failed before the couple were successfully evacuated.
“Attempts were initially made to dislodge the grounded vessel. However, due to adverse weather conditions and restricted manoeuvrability caused by the water depth in the area where the vessel was located, it could not be safely towed from the area,” according to a police statement issued Wednesday.
The couple were assisted from their boat and taken to Governors Harbour, where they were assessed by ambulance staff and found to be in good health, with no injuries.
The boat appeared to have relatively minor damage to its hull. An American flag was still flying from the mast Tuesday as a salvage company assessed the scene.
An initial assessment by the Department of Environment on Tuesday, including filming of the sea floor, is understood to have found limited evidence of coral damage. Waves and current prevented a more thorough assessment.
The boat was listing in the shallow water Wednesday, held in place by its anchors as salvage companies waited for a break in the weather to attempt to free it. Police said the vessel was not considered a marine hazard in its current location, and the owners were coordinating privately to have it recovered once conditions improve.
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