Six people adrift in a fishing boat off the coast of Quintana Roo were located and rescued Saturday afternoon after a 24-hour search involving the Navy, state officials and private citizens.
On Sunday morning, Quintana Roo Governor Mara Lezama thanked the Naval Ministry, the Quintana Roo Civil Protection agency (Coeproc) and state security officials for their tireless efforts to rescue the lost fishing charter.
#Entérate | Asi fueron localizados los pescadores desde una avioneta en Quintana Roo. pic.twitter.com/je2kBprzfe
— Panorama Sin Reservas 620 AM (@sinreservas620) July 28, 2024
A small private plane was the first to spot the fishing boat.
Five residents of the state of Tabasco hired a boat out of Isla Mujeres on Friday to go to Arrowsmith Bank, a popular sport fishing spot about 41 km due east of Cancún.
The group of friends boarded the 28-foot “Jigging” at 5 a.m. They lost communication a few hours later and family members notified the captain of the port. After efforts to contact the ship failed, the families reported the missing boat to federal and state authorities.
The concerned relatives also utilized social media to alert the public about the missing adventurers and the response was immediate. Fishermen scouted the area around Arrowsmith Bank to no avail on Friday.
By Saturday morning, a full-scale search-and-rescue operation was underway with the Navy taking point, assisted by the Coeproc. Private individuals continued to participate and, in fact, it was a private plane that located the stray ship. A video of the ship’s sighting was available on social media within minutes.
First on the scene was a fishing boat, which transmitted the coordinates to the Navy. Marines hauled the six castaways aboard a Navy ship, where they received medical treatment. All were determined to be in good health except for mild dehydration, and were transported back to dry land where they were reunited with their families.
The captain explained that the boat had suffered engine trouble a few hours after setting off, leaving them dead in the water.
With reports from El Heraldo de Tabasco, El Universal and La Jornada Maya
