by Jada Chambers

For the year so far, the St Vincent and the Grenadines Coast Guard Service has already responded to 30 calls for assistance at sea.

And Lieutenant Commander, Deon Henry is urging every boater to wear a life jacket when travelling to sea so they do not become a drowning statistic. While this is keenly important, it is even more so given the expected increased traffic at sea during the upcoming Easter weekend.

SVG and the wider Caribbean have had their share of tragedies at sea and the Coast Guard Service is seeking to get home the message about individual and collective responsibility.

On Tuesday of this week, a speed boat with 32 passengers on board which left Antigua bound for the BVI, capsized off St Kitts resulting in several fatalities. And in June, 2017 a speed boat/fishing boat returning to Mustique from Canouan disappeared with all six persons on board.

On Thursday, March 30, Henry spoke to SEARCHLIGHT on safety measures that boaters ought to exercise in order to avoid casualties over the Easter Weekend and in the future.

“For the year 2022, Coast Guard responded to 127 calls for assistance, or an average of 10 calls per month. These calls consist of Search and Rescue and Medical Evacuations. For the year 2023, we have responded to 30 calls for assistance as of today’s date. “

As a result, he is advising every boater to keep monitoring the weather forecast and to always wear a personal flotation device.

“Bring a life jacket for everyone on board. The majority of drowning victims from boating relating incidents are boaters not wearing their life jackets. Make sure your family, friends, or crew are not part of this statistic by purchasing, assigning, and fitting each member on board with a life jacket before departure. If you have it, wear it.”

Lieutenant Commander Henry continued said besides drowning incidents, calls made by mariners are often due to having insufficient fuel for the journey, and he therefore is urging mariners to practise the 1/3 rule.

“Remember one-third of your fuel to get you to your destination, one-third to bring you back, and one-third reserved for unplanned fuel consumption.”

The Coast Guard official listed other problems which arise including mechanical failure, diver lost at sea, decompressing sickness, and vessel bounding. However among the most common difficulties that the coast guard experiences when assisting in an emergency is the delay in receiving information about an emergency at sea.

“Personnel in distress or in need of assistance will inform friends or family first before the Coast Guard, thus delaying the Coast Guard’s ability to activate the most effective response,” Henry pointed out.

“ Personnel in distress or in need of assistance have no idea as to their location, or cannot make reference to a permanent land feature. This is mainly due to not being in possession of Navigation equipment such as a compass, Global Positioning System (GPS), or a registered VHF DSC Radio.”

Henry also is reminding boaters to take along items and supplies for use in the case of an emergency.

“Take along sufficient water- at least one gallon per person, and enough food for a few days (dry food). Take along a compass, signalling device [such as a] flare [or a] mirror, watertight torchlight and spare batteries, and a radar reflector which will assist in detection by other vessels, in particular in low visibility. Slowdown in rough seas or when making sharp turns. “
Henry also reminded that the colour of the boat is important.

“Paint your boat in bright colours which can easily be seen. Don’t drink alcoholic beverages and go fishing or boating. Stay sober. Operating a boat under the influence is illegal and potentially dangerous for everyone. Take a Marine VHF DSC Radio, “ Henry stressed.

And, Senior Inspector of Ships, Tyson Haynes told SEARCHLIGHT in an interview that the Code of Safety for Small Commercial Vessels (SCV) sets standards for commercial vessels less than 24 metres in length. It requires all passenger vessels to undergo a stability test every five years and also requires that the number of adult size life jackets be equivalent to the maximum number of persons permitted to be carried in a vessel.

“The vessel is required to carry 10% child size life jackets of the total number of persons the vessel is certified to carry, or a greater number as may be required to provide a life jacket for each child. Additional infant size life jackets shall be at least 2.5% of the vessel capacity or a greater number to provide a life jacket for each infant,” Haynes explained.

Haynes said that vessels operating solely within coastal waters and protected waters shall carry lifeboats and/or life rafts, and/or buoyant apparatus, sufficient in aggregate to accommodate the total number of persons on board.

Henry has advised that if boaters encounter difficulties at sea they should contact: Very High-Frequency Channel 16 (VHF Ch. 16), and Digital selective Calling Channel 70 (DSC Ch. 70). He said that cell phones are helpful, but the Coast Guard does not recommend their use as the main communication device. Cell phones may not obtain signals while out at sea, however, if it is your only communication device, persons in distress may call 999/ 1784-457-4578/ 1784-482-4578/ 1784-458-4578 or WhatsApp Coast Guard Operations Center at 1784-457-4578.

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