The Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force says it would have responded quicker to an alert of a ‘man overboard notification’ had it not received a late notice of the incident.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the ABDF said it nonetheless assisted with the coordination of the efforts to rescue Phillippe ‘Daniel” Jules, the Master of MV VIOLACTUS, who reportedly feel overboard at approximately 2300 hours on Tuesday night.
According to the ABDF report, the incident happened when Captain Jules tried to avoid being struck by the mast of the vessel, which was en route to Dominica.
The incident occurred in open waters approximately six nautical miles northeast of Guadeloupe. ABDF headquarters confirms that coordination efforts continue with Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) Fort-de-France, Commandement la Gerdarmerie, and other key local and regional stakeholders to locate him. The remaining ten persons on board have been confirmed safe within Guadeloupe.
“The ABDF Coast Guard regrets receiving official notice of the incident only during the early daylight hours of the following morning, resulting in a delayed response and reduced likelihood of swift recovery. Despite this, extensive efforts continue as we work tirelessly to transform this unfortunate event into a successful rescue,” the statement said.
The ABDF Coast Guard reaffirms its commitment to ensuring the safety of mariners and all users of the maritime space in and around the sovereign waters of Antigua and Barbuda. The organization further asserts that all available resources are being utilized in pursuit of a favourable outcome.
“Our thoughts and prayers remain with the family and friends of Mr. Jules during this difficult time.”
The ABDF also takes this opportunity to urge all mariners to maintain proper safety protocols while in port, at anchor, or underway, including the consistent use of personal floatation devices and man-overboard alert systems. Further updates will be provided as the situation develops.
Up to Wednesday night, the ABDF reported that there was no word of any sightings of Captain Jules. However, the efforts are continuing.
