Holbox, Q.R. — A tanker passing the tip of the Yucatan Peninsula reported the sighting of a vessel in Quintana Roo waters. The small boat was found adrift carrying seven crew north of Isla Holbox in the Gulf of Mexico.
The crew were brought aboard the tanker while Mexican Naval personnel met the cargo ship to recover the seven people found. The Secretary of the Navy reported personnel from the Ninth Naval Region met the tanker Wednesday “in the rescue of seven foreigners in the territorial water areas of the state of Quintana Roo.”
The navy set out to meet the passing tanker after receiving an emergency call in the Command and Control Room. The call reported that “a foreign tanker sighted a smaller vessel adrift with seven crew members on board approximately 58 nautical miles (107 kilometers) north of Cabo Catoche, which were rescued by the aforementioned ship.”
A Defender rescue vessel from the Naval Search, Rescue and Maritime Surveillance Station (ENSAR) of Isla Mujeres set out to meet the ship. According to the Secretary, navy personnel “intercepted the aforementioned vessel approximately three nautical miles (five kilometers) north of Isla Mujeres, to receive the seven people.”
Once the rescued people were received, they were treated by Naval Health personnel. All seven were of foreign nationality and eventually transferred to INM facilities.
