By Dana Malcolm

Staff Writer

#TurksandCaicos, January 23, 2023 – A South African boat on its way to Florida went frighteningly off course and ended up in the waters of Grand Turk last weekend; civilians had to be called in once again to assist in a rescue operation.

Reports indicate that around 1 pm Sunday January 15, the police reached out to boaters advising that a vessel the WIND SURFER was stranded and drifting 30 or 40 miles north-northwest of Salt Cay after experiencing engine failure.

While the vessel had a sail, the captain was concerned he would run aground on the unfamiliar TCI reef system due to the strong winds.

Magnetic Media was told that less than 15 minutes later, Hartley “Bonefish”  Squire, a ham radio operator with the search and rescue team, notified the TCI Fisheries Department in the South Caicos, which also has a boat, that based on the coordinates they would be in a better position to conduct the operation.

An hour later, Royal TCI Police advised that with the assistance of the team, the stranded vessel and crew had made it safely to the harbour in South Caicos.

Recurring issues such as this one continue to emphasize the great and pressing need for a marine branch in Grand Turk before any lives are lost because of a lack of proper resources. In the weeks since a plane crash left four people stranded and required rescue.

The Government has not provided any updates on the progress of the Marine branch.