US Coast Guard in Florida stops hundreds fleeing Cuba, Haiti by sea, returns most
MIAMI — (AP) — The Coast Guard returned another 177 Cuban migrants who were caught at sea off Florida to the island on Thursday, while a group of about two dozen Haitians swam ashore in Miami. The Cuban migrants were all intercepted separately off the coast earlier this month, according to a Coast Guard news release. They were repatriated by two Coast Guard cutters. Read: DeSantis activates Florida National Guard after migrants land in Florida KeysGood Samaritans among island beachgoers helped some of the migrants ashore with small boats and jet skis, Selva said. Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr.
wftv.comUS stops hundreds fleeing Cuba, Haiti by sea, returns most
The Cuban migrants were all intercepted separately off the coast earlier this month, according to a Coast Guard news release. They were repatriated by two Coast Guard cutters. The latest returns and landings came just after President Joe Biden’s administration began a new policy to start turning back Cubans, Haitians and Nicaraguans at the Texas border, along with Venezuelans, who arrive illegally. Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Don't put your life at risk by taking to the sea when you don't have to.”____Curt Anderson reported from St. Petersburg, Fla.
wftv.comUS stops hundreds fleeing Cuba, Haiti by sea, returns most
The Cuban migrants were all intercepted separately off the coast earlier this month, according to a Coast Guard news release. They were repatriated by two Coast Guard cutters. The latest returns and landings came just after President Joe Biden’s administration began a new policy to start turning back Cubans, Haitians and Nicaraguans at the Texas border, along with Venezuelans, who arrive illegally. Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Don't put your life at risk by taking to the sea when you don't have to.”____Curt Anderson reported from St. Petersburg, Fla.
wftv.comCoast Guard returns 177 Cubans caught at sea to the island
MIAMI — (AP) — The Coast Guard returned another 177 Cuban migrants who were caught at sea to the island on Thursday. The migrants were all intercepted separately off Florida's coast earlier this month, according to a Coast Guard news release. They were repatriated by two Coast Guard cutters. Since Oct. 1, 2022, the Coast Guard has interdicted more than 4,900 Cuban migrants at sea as they attempted the risky Florida Straits crossing to illegally enter the Keys island chain and other parts of the state. Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr.
wftv.comCoast Guard rescues dog who fell through ice in Detroit River
BELLE ISLAND, Mich. — The crew of a U.S. Coast Guard vessel rescued a dog who had fallen into the ice in the Detroit River on Saturday, authorities said. A crew was dispatched after a call came in to the Coast Guard, WNEM-TV reported. Later in the day, Coast Guard officials posted on Facebook that the dog had been rescued. The Coast Guard kept the animal warm until representatives from Detroit Animal Care and Control arrived at the scene, WEYI-TV reported. “Round of appaws for Petty Officer Cole Harper and the boat crew for a successful animal rescue!” the Coast Guard posted.
wftv.com4 missing after helicopter crashes in Gulf of Mexico
— (AP) — The U.S. Coast Guard spent hours searching the waters off Louisiana for four people on board a helicopter that crashed Thursday while departing an oil platform. Kevin Keefe, Coast Guard Sector New Orleans Search and Rescue Mission Coordinator. Photos of the debris released by the Coast Guard showed a cluster of cylindrical yellow objects bobbing in the water. Two weeks ago, the Coast Guard rescued three people after a helicopter crashed off the Louisiana coast while attempting to land on an oil rig platform. That crash occurred Dec. 15 south of Terrebonne Bay, roughly 60 miles (97 kilometers) west of the area the Coast Guard was searching Thursday.
wftv.comN. Korea fires ballistic missile into waters off east coast
SEOUL, South Korea — (AP) — North Korea fired a ballistic missile Sunday into waters off its east coast, South Korean and Japanese officials said. South Korea’s Joint Chief of Staff said the launch occurred Sunday morning but gave no further details. In recent months, North Korea has test-fired a barrage of nuclear-capable ballistic missiles including last month’s launch of its developmental, longest-range liquid-fueled Hwasong-17 ICBM designed to carry multiple warheads. Some experts say North Korea would eventually use an expanded arsenal to seek sanctions relief and other concessions from the United States. The exact status of North Korea’s nuclear attack capability remains in secrecy, as all its intercontinental ballistic missile tests in recent years have been carried out at a steep angle to avoid neighboring countries.
wftv.comPrison inmates placed bets on how long Whitey Bulger would survive after being transferred, a watchdog report found. The notorious gangster was beaten to death in less than 24 hours.
A Justice Department report found that prison staff who worked at Hazelton spoke publicly about Bulger's upcoming arrival in front of inmates.
news.yahoo.comCoast Guard faults pilot in Chesapeake Bay ship grounding
WASHINGTON — (AP) — A Coast Guard investigation into the grounding in March of a cargo ship in the Chesapeake Bay faulted the pilot tasked with helping the ship navigate the waterway, saying he relied too much on one piece of equipment to navigate and was on his cellphone in the runup to the grounding. In a news release Tuesday the Coast Guard specifically cited "the pilot's failure to maintain situational awareness and attention while navigating, and inadequate bridge resource management." It took authorities a little over a month to dislodge the container ship — longer than three football fields — from the muddy bottom of the Chesapeake Bay. In the detailed report, the Coast Guard said they didn't find mechanical issues or equipment failures but instead painted a picture of a pilot tasked with guiding the ship who was frequently on his phone in the lead-up to the grounding. The report said other crew members on the bridge during the run-up to the grounding saw that the pilot was “frequently on his cellphone and appeared agitated."
wftv.comChina fishing fleet defied U.S. in standoff on the high seas
This summer, as China fired missiles into the sea off Taiwan to protest House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to the island, a much different kind of geopolitical standoff was taking shape in another corner of the Pacific Ocean. Thousands of miles away, a heavily-armed U.S. Coast Guard cutter sailed up to a fleet of a few hundred Chinese squid-fishing boats not far from Ecuador’s Galapagos Islands. Its mission: inspect the vessels for any signs of illegal, unreported or unregulated fishing.
news.yahoo.comAP: China fishing fleet defied U.S in standoff on high seas
This summer, as China fired missiles into the sea off Taiwan to protest House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to the island, a much different kind of geopolitical standoff was taking shape in another corner of the Pacific Ocean. Thousands of miles away, a heavily-armed U.S. Coast Guard cutter sailed up to a fleet of a few hundred Chinese squid-fishing boats not far from Ecuador’s Galapagos Islands. Its mission: inspect the vessels for any signs of illegal, unreported or unregulated fishing.
news.yahoo.comChina fishing fleet defied U.S. in standoff on the high seas
This summer, as China fired missiles into the sea off Taiwan to protest House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to the island, a much different kind of geopolitical standoff was taking shape in another corner of the Pacific Ocean. Thousands of miles away, a heavily-armed U.S. Coast Guard cutter sailed up to a fleet of a few hundred Chinese squid-fishing boats not far from Ecuador’s Galapagos Islands. Its mission: inspect the vessels for any signs of illegal, unreported or unregulated fishing.
news.yahoo.comRhode Island fishermen find undetonated WWII explosive
NARRAGANSETT, R.I. — A small boat fishing off the coast of Rhode Island reeled in a rare catch, but it wasn’t seafood. “There was something in the net and it dropped down, bumped on the stern, which is scary now, considering it,” Wescott told WLNE. The area where the explosive was found is the site of a battle in WWII, a spokesperson for the Navy told WJAR. The Navy Explosive Ordnance Mobile Unit and U.S. Coast Guard took the device a mile offshore Wednesday and detonated it safely, WJAR reported. It was like somebody racked a big, big hammer against the side of the boat.”Officials told WJAR that there were no injuries, and no marine mammals were hurt by the blast.
wftv.comNGO: Libyan Coast Guard threatened to shoot down plane
According to an audio recording of the threats, the Libyan coast guard vessel allegedly ordered the NGO plane to “get out of Libyan territorial” waters despite being in international waters where Malta is responsible for coordinating search and rescue operations. This is not Libyan territorial waters, over,” a member of the Sea-Watch crew flying overhead responded to the Libyan authorities via radio. “Get away from Libyan territorial otherwise we’ll shoot you by some missiles," the Libyan Coast Guard vessel allegedly responds back. A spokesman for the Libyan coast guard did not immediately answer phone calls and messages seeking comment. Last year, the European Union-funded and trained Libyan coast guard was caught on camera chasing and shooting in the direction of a migrant boat.
wftv.comNTSB: Communications outage a factor in lift boat disaster
Thirteen of the 19 people aboard the Seacor Power died after the offshore vessel capsized in the Gulf after leaving Port Fourchon. The NTSB said in Tuesday's report that the captain of the Seacor Power made a “reasonable” decision to get underway the day of the disaster. The report suggested that the weather service, the Federal Aviation Administration and Air Force jointly consider lowering radar angles to improve coverage. Multiple recommendations for the Coast Guard were included in the report. The Coast Guard also should require that everyone employed on vessels in “coastal, Great Lakes, and ocean service” have personal locater beacon devices.
wftv.comWill to live and life jackets: boaters survive 28 hours
All three boaters were back home Tuesday, the Coast Guard said. Helicopter rescue swimmer Richard Hoefle said both boaters had deep cuts on their hands, and one was missing the tip of a middle finger. A Coast Guard boat based in Venice sped out to that spot. A boater's wife texted it to the Coast Guard, said Lt. Cmdr. The Coast Guard said the men were found about 25 miles off Empire, which is about 15 miles upriver from Venice.
wftv.comSix migrants reported dead at sea in central Mediterranean
MILAN — (AP) — Migrants picked up at sea by a mercantile ship and brought to Italy by the coast guard have reported that six people died of thirst during the voyage, the U.N. refugee agency said Monday. A child with dehydration and his mother were transported to the Maltese capital of Valletta by helicopter from ship. So far this year, more than 1,200 people have died or are missing at sea in the perilous central Mediterranean crossing from North Africa to Europe. The U.N. refugee agency said the route the small boat had taken and how many days it had been at sea was not clear. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
wftv.comTurkey says Greek Coast Guard fires on cargo ship in Aegean
ISTANBUL — (AP) — Greek Coast Guard ships opened fire on a cargo vessel sailing in international waters in the Aegean Sea, the Turkish Coast Guard said, escalating tensions between the regional rivals that have mounted in recent weeks. It added that after “harassment fire” from two Greek Coast Guard vessels, two Turkish Coast Guard ships went to the area and the Greek boats left. Video footage from Saturday purportedly shows a Greek Coast Guard ship alongside the Comoros-flagged ship Anatolian as the sound of about a dozen gunshots are heard. A crew member speaks in Turkish, saying they are being attacked by the Greek Coast Guard. The Anatolian was anchored Sunday in the Dardanelles Strait off the Turkish coast, the state-run Anadolu news agency reported.
wftv.comReport: US Coast Guard ship denied port call in Solomons
There was no response from the Solomon Islands' government for diplomatic clearance for the vessel to land, however, so the Oliver Henry diverted to Papua New Guinea, Kam said. She declined to specify when the incident occurred, and the Coast Guard did not immediately respond to emails or calls from The Associated Press for comment. The pact has raised fears of a Chinese naval base being established within 2,000 kilometers (1,200 miles) of Australia’s northeast coast. Both the Solomon Islands and China have denied their pact will lead to a Chinese military foothold in the South Pacific. U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn met with Sogavare in the Solomon Islands on Wednesday but it was not clear whether she raised the issue of the Coast Guard's refused port call.
wftv.com2 dead, 5 missing after migrant boat capsizes near Florida Keys, Coast Guard says
KEY WEST, Fla. — (AP) — Two people died and five were missing after a boat believed to be carrying migrants and attempting to enter the U.S. illegally capsized off the coast of the Florida Keys, the Coast Guard said. WATCH: 3 hurt after deputy-involved shooting at Orange County hotelEight people were rescued, the Coast Guard said in a news release Friday. WATCH: Police identify 81-year-old man shot by police after firing at first respondersReports of the capsized vessel about 14 miles south of Sugarloaf Key reached the Coast Guard around 10 a.m. Friday. One person was rescued from the water by the Royal Caribbean cruise ship Mariner of the Seas, the Coast Guard said. READ: Central Florida deputies searching for armed carjacking suspects“Our search continues for others that may have survived this tragic incident,” said Rear Adm. Brendan McPherson, commander of the Seventh Coast Guard District.
wftv.comEU court limits national checks for migrant rescue ships
Migration Italy The German charity Sea-Watch 3 with 444 people on board in the central Mediterranean on Sunday, July 24, 2022. Ships in the Mediterranean Sea have rescued over 1,100 people struggling to reach Europe in rickety smugglers boats and found five bodies. The European Court of Justice ruling came in response to an appeal by German migrant aid group Sea-Watch. Italian harbor authorities also considered that the ships were not certified for search-and-rescue missions. Sea-Watch described the court decision as a victory that means that port authorities can’t arbitrarily detain ships and prevent them from doing their work.
wftv.comWatch: Beachgoer captures moment plane crashes into waters off Seattle
Coast Guard: Small plane crashes off Alki Beach, Washington The plane sank in the water after a smooth landing and then it flipped forward, the Coast Guard said. (NCD)SEATTLE — An eyewitness happened to capture the dramatic moment when a small plane crashed into Washington’s Puget Sound on Tuesday. VIDEO: Small plane crashes into waters near Alki BeachSeattle Fire Department, along with the Coast Guard, responded to the incident around 4:30 p.m. The person aboard the plane reportedly swam to shore in stable condition. The plane eventually sank below the surface and the owner of the plane hired a contractor to remove the fuel and salvage the plane, according to the Coast Guard.
wftv.comMediterranean ships find 5 dead, rescue over 1,100 migrants
MILAN — (AP) — Italian vessels have recovered five bodies and rescued 674 people packed on a fishing boat adrift in the Mediterranean off the Libyan coast, the Italian Coast Guard said Sunday, while European charities reported saving more than 500 more. In one case, a helicopter was called to evacuate a woman in need of medical treatment from a migrant boat in a precarious condition, the Coast Guard said. In separate operations, the German charity Sea-Watch said it rescued 444 migrants trying to cross the Mediterranean on overcrowded, rickety smugglers' boats. The charity is asking for permission to bring the rescued people to a safe port, as the rescue ship is unable to accommodate so many people. In addition, the European charity SOS Mediterannee said its rescue ship Ocean Viking have saved 87 people, including 57 unaccompanied minors, from an overcrowded rubber boat off the Libyan coast.
wftv.comVolusia County Beaches see a total of 268 beach rescues over the weekend
VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — The beaches in Volusia County were busy with rescues this weekend. Volusia County Beach Safety said there were 138 beach rescues on Sunday and 130 rescues on Saturday. Beach Safety employees helped bring her to shore, where CPR was initiated by two ER nurses on the scene. Read: Lifeguards rescue more than 200 people at Volusia County beaches over holiday weekendBeach Safety employees returned to the ocean to rescue a male who had been caught in the same rip current. They strongly encourage beachgoers to swim near lifeguard towers with a lifeguard present.
wftv.comCoast Guard rescues Florida man off coast following medical issue
VIDEO: Coast Guard rescues Florida man off coast following medical issue VIDEO: Coast Guard rescues Florida man off coast following medical issue (WFTV)ORLANDO, Fla. — The United States Coast Guard rescued a 60-year-old man who was having difficulty breathing on Friday night. According to a news release, a crewmember aboard the fishing vessel radioed the Coast Guard around 8 p.m.At the time of the rescue, the vessel, American Patriot, was 57 miles west of Gordon Pass near Naples. The Coast Guard aircrew airlifted the patient and his two adult sons and took them to the hospital in stable condition. Read: Gun safety bill: Biden signs legislation passed by CongressThe Coast Guard encourages all mariners to have reliable forms of communication in the event of emergencies. ©2022 Cox Media Group
wftv.comDeputies searching for missing elderly DeLand couple
VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — Volusia County deputies are seeking help in locating an elderly couple missing from their DeLand home Saturday morning. Read: Police warn of fake officer scam calls as Florida works with FCC to crack down on robocallsGuevara was last seen wearing a red shirt, black pants, and tennis shoes. Davila was wearing a white blouse, gray pants, and black sandals. Deputies searching for missing elderly Alzheimer's patients (WFTV)Anyone with information on the couple is asked to call the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office or 911. Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
wftv.com38 rescued, 11 dead as US searches waters after boat capsizes near Puerto Rico
Haitians are fleeing in greater numbers to the neighboring Dominican Republic, where they step onto rickety wooden boats as they attempt to reach Puerto Rico — a trip in which 11 Haitian women drowned this week, with dozens of other migrants believed missing.
Lawyers: Nearly $1B tentative settlement in condo collapse
(AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File) (Mark Humphrey)ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — (AP) — A nearly $1 billion tentative settlement has been reached in a class-action lawsuit brought by families of victims and survivors of last June's condominium collapse in Surfside, Florida, an attorney said Wednesday. Champlain Towers was in the midst of its 40-year structural review when it partially crumbled to the ground. The collapse triggered lawsuits from victims, families and condo owners, and prompted state and federal investigations. In December, a Florida grand jury issued a lengthy list of recommendations aimed at preventing another condominium collapse, including earlier and more frequent inspections and better waterproofing. And in February of this year, the Florida House unanimously passed a bill that would require statewide recertification of any condo building above three stories high.
wftv.comItalian rescuers save over 100 migrants, find 2 bodies
ROME — (AP) — The Italian Coast Guard on Friday rescued more than 100 migrants and recovered two bodies after a sailboat ran aground near a jetty in southern Italy. One diver shouted, “Jump, jump!” and “Bravo!” to try to boost the man’s courage. In all, 108 migrants had been aboard the double-masted sailboat, which had beached and overturned on a sandy shore adjacent to the jetty, the coast guard said. Sailboats and yachts usually carry far fewer migrants than traffickers' unseaworthy fishing boats, which often attempt to sail from Libya to the Italian island of Sicily. A police helicopter and an Italian coast guard helicopter searched the waters near the jetty in case there were any other survivors or victims, but the coast guard said no one appeared to be missing.
wftv.com‘Best Mother’s Day ever’: Coast Guard son surprises Florida mom at graduation – WFTV
(Sunshower Shots/iStock )FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — It was a graduation surprise and a Mother’s Day gift wrapped into one big event. ‘This is the best Mother’s Day ever’: Coast Guard son surprises mom at her graduation https://t.co/yuJh6GNFPg — Miami Herald (@MiamiHerald) May 5, 2022Freeman had dropped out of high school to care for her brother and sister, her three children and two nephews. But when she saw her son, Freeman ran across the Broward County Convention Center stage in black stilettos to hug her son, according to the newspaper. “This is the best Mother’s Day ever,” Freeman told the Herald. “I think this is the best Mother’s Day any mother could get.”Because he was serving overseas, Roberts knew he could not attend his mother’s big event, the newspaper reported.
wftv.comSeparation of SpaceX rocket could be seen with the naked eye due to ‘jellyfish effect’
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket finally broke a scrub streak Monday, vaulting an Earth observation satellite into skies so clear that the entire process from launch to landing back at Cape Canaveral was easily visible to watchers along the coast.
China coast guard uses water cannon against Philippine boats
The Philippines says Chinese coast guard ships have blocked and sprayed a powerful stream of water at two of its ships carrying supplies to troops at a disputed South China Sea shoal, prompting Manila to warn Beijing that the vessels are covered by a mutual defense treaty with the United States.
Captain pleads not guilty to manslaughter in boat fire
The captain of a scuba diving boat that burned and sank off the California coast, killing 34 people below deck, has pleaded not guilty to federal manslaughter charges. Jerry Boylan surrendered Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2021, and was arraigned in Los Angeles federal court on 34 counts of seaman's manslaughter. (Santa Barbara County Fire Department via AP, File)LOS ANGELES – The captain of a scuba diving boat that burned and sank off the California coast, killing 34 people, pleaded not guilty Tuesday to manslaughter charges. Jerry Boylan was arraigned in federal court in Los Angeles on 34 counts of seaman’s manslaughter. Truth Aquatics has sued in federal court under a provision in maritime law to avoid payouts to the families of the victims.