Fishing Boat Collides With U.S. Coast Guard Cutter, Killing One

One fisherman was killed and another injured when a small commercial fishing boat collided with a U.S. Coast Guard cutter off the coast of Puerto Rico on Monday. 

At about1420 hours Monday, the crew of the fast response cutter USCGC Winslow Griesser notified Sector San Juan that the Griesser had been in collision with a small fishing boat, identified as the Desakata. The two vessels collided about four nm off the coast of Dorado, Puerto Rico. 

The crew of the Griesser recovered both of the individuals aboard Desakata. Fisherman Carlos Rosario was fatally injured; his brother, Samuel Rosario Beltran, sustained injuries but survived. 

The Griesser transported both of the fishermen to Coast Guard Base San Juan for medical care, and emergency medical services delivered Samuel Rosario to a hospital in San Juan. 

A 45-foot response boat crew from Station San Juan was dispatched to the scene to locate the damaged fishing vessel.

“We sincerely mourn the passing of Carlos Rosario following the collision between a Coast Guard cutter and the fishing vessel Desakata,” said Capt. José E. Díaz, commander of Coast Guard Sector San Juan. “We send our most heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and loved ones, and pray they find strength during this most difficult time. A thorough investigation will be completed to determine the causal factors that led to this collision so that we can prevent this type of incident from occurring in the future.”

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is leading an investigation into the cause of the collision.