Superyacht saves 16 in harrowing Caribbean migrant rescue

The captain and crew of a 121ft/37m sailing superyacht were central to a search and rescue last week which saw 16 people safely recovered from the hull of an upturned fishing boat, on the night of Tuesday 28 March.

The stricken fishing vessel is believed to have been carrying migrants from the island of Antigua to St Thomas, in the US Virgin Islands. Tragically a further 16 people are thought to have died in the incident.

Thomas Auckland, captain of SY Genevieve, shared the following detailed account of the search and rescue incident, and the procedures he and his crew used, with Yachting World.

SY Genevieve is a 121ft Ed Dubois-designed sloop launched in 1996.

Superyacht rescue

“At 23.30 on 27th March 2023, while motor-sailing from Antigua to Saint Maarten, approximately 16nm NE of Conaree, St Kitts, the lookout heard a faint noise that sounded like a woman’s scream. We immediately throttled back, and then both heard a clear audible scream.

“[The lookout] at once mustered the crew, who donned lifejackets with PLBs and radios, as I furled the headsail, activated a DSC and called a Mayday. (In retrospect, this should have been a Mayday Relay).

“We then positioned four crew around the vessel with torches or searchlights to try to locate the woman or women. The First Mate was in charge of all radio comms and alarms from this muster until we found the capsized vessel.

learn more at: https://www.yachtingworld.com/all-latest-posts/superyacht-saves-16-in-harrowing-caribbean-migrant-rescue-144841