Coast Guard rescues boater after vessel capsizes west of Guam

A 58-year-old boater was rescued Monday morning after his small boat overturned west of Guam, according to U.S. Coast Guard officials.

The U.S. Coast Guard Oceania District reported that at approximately 5 a.m., a man left Merizo aboard a 22-foot pleasure craft, Solo 2, planning to fish near the Agat buoy before traveling to the 9-mile area.

Rough sea conditions were reported at the time, and a high surf advisory and a rip current statement were in effect for Guam, conditions that likely contributed to the capsizing.

Watchstanders at the Joint Rescue Coordination Center Guam received an emergency alert at about 10:22 a.m. from the international COSPAS-SARSAT system, which detected the mariner’s activated personal locator beacon. They also received a distress message from his GPS device, reporting that the vessel was taking on water.

Because the locator beacon was properly registered and included a secondary emergency contact, Coast Guard personnel were able to quickly confirm the vessel’s description and the mariner’s intended route after attempts to reach him by phone were unsuccessful, officials said.

Grant Johnson, the Coast Guard’s search and rescue mission coordinator, said, “The mariner’s decision to activate his personal locator beacon, send a distress message, notify others of his plans, and remain with the capsized vessel made the rescue possible.”

A 45-foot Coast Guard response boat launched from Station Apra Harbor and arrived on scene at about 11:09 a.m. The crew found the man sitting atop the overturned vessel.

He reported no additional people aboard and did not require medical attention.

“Using multiple, redundant communication methods allowed us to locate and recover him quickly and safely,” added the Cmdr.

The response boat crew transported the mariner to Agat Marina, where he was met by family members and personnel from the Guam Fire Department. The Coast Guard issued a broadcast notice to mariners warning of the capsized vessel as a hazard to navigation.

A high surf advisory remained in effect for north-facing reefs through 4 p.m. Tuesday.