Coast Guard Rescues 3 Federal Agents, 2 Boaters After Capsizes Off Puerto Rico

The U.S. Coast Guard and Puerto Rico police rescued three Customs and Border Protection agents and two civilians late Tuesday after two small boats capsized in rough seas off Isla de Cabras (Goat Island) at the mouth of San Juan Bay. Coast Guard Sector San Juan received a distress report around 9:05 p.m. of a 22‑foot vessel overturned with two people clinging to the hull, prompting deployment of a 45‑foot response boat and an MH‑60 Jayhawk helicopter, along with a CBP marine unit and Puerto Rico police helicopter. As the CBP boat attempted to reach the scene in roughly 10‑foot swells, it also capsized, throwing three agents into the water and forcing rescuers to rely on aerial hoists to pull all five people to safety. One agent and one boater were lifted out by the Puerto Rico police helicopter, while a Coast Guard rescue swimmer recovered the remaining two agents and the second boater for transport to San Juan’s Fernando Luis Ribas Dominicci Airport. All five survivors were treated for minor injuries, and the Coast Guard aircraft commander credited fast coordination among agencies and a nearby Good Samaritan vessel with preventing what he said could have been a far more deadly outcome in treacherous reef‑lined waters.