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HomeNewsLocal newsOne Man Dead, Brother Injured in Collision With Coast Guard Cutter

One Man Dead, Brother Injured in Collision With Coast Guard Cutter

The Coast Guard Cutter Winslow Griesser, which was involved in a collision with the 23-foot commercial fishing vessel Desakata on Monday afternoon approximately four nautical miles north of Dorado, Puerto Rico. (U.S. Coast Guard photo)
A file photo of the Coast Guard Cutter Winslow Griesser, which was involved in a collision with the 23-foot commercial fishing vessel Desakata on Monday afternoon approximately four nautical miles north of Dorado, Puerto Rico. (U.S. Coast Guard photo)

One man is dead and his brother injured after the Coast Guard Cutter Winslow Griesser and the 23-foot commercial fishing vessel Desakata were involved in a collision Monday afternoon, approximately four nautical miles north of Dorado, Puerto Rico.

Following the collision, the crew of the Winslow Griesser recovered the two fishermen aboard Desakata, identified as Carlos Rosario, who was fatally injured, and his brother Samuel Rosario Beltrán, who sustained injuries but survived, Coast Guard Sector San Juan reported.

“We sincerely mourn the passing of Carlos Rosario following the collision between a Coast Guard cutter and the fishing vessel Desakata this afternoon,” said Capt. José E. Díaz, commander of Coast Guard Sector San Juan, said Monday night in a prepared statement.

“We send our most heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and loved ones, and pray they find strength during this most difficult time. A thorough investigation will be completed to determine the causal factors that led to this collision so that we can prevent this type of incident from occurring in the future,” Díaz said.

Coast Guard watchstanders at Sector San Juan were notified of the incident by the Winslow Griesser crew at approximately 2:19 p.m. Monday, according to the press release concerning the incident. Coast Guard watchstanders directed the launch of a 45-foot response boat crew from Station San Juan, which arrived on the scene and located the damaged fishing vessel, it said.

The cutter Winslow Griesser transported both of the recovered fishermen to Coast Guard Base San Juan for transfer to awaiting Emergency Medical Services, the Coast Guard reported. EMS delivered Samuel Rosario Beltrán to the Centro Medico hospital in San Juan. The remains of Carlos Rosario will be transferred to Forensics Science Institute in San Juan.

Cutter Winslow Griesser is a 154-foot Sentinel Class fast response cutter homeported in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The National Transportation Safety Board is leading the investigation into what caused the collision.

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