WILLEMSTAD - During a patrol flight last Sunday evening, the coastguard aircraft detected a boat some 120 miles north of Aruba. The crew of the coast guard plane (DASH) believed they recognized a human body in the boat that no longer showed any sign of life. Based on the DASH report, the Coast Guard's Joint Rescue Coordination Center (JRCC) directed the cutter Panther from the Aruba Coast Guard base to the boat.
The weather conditions on the open sea were a major challenge for the search by the cutter Panter. With poor visibility and high waves, it was impossible for the Panther's crew to find the boat. The JRCC then directed the DASH to the location again to relocate the boat from the air and guide the cutter to the boat. Upon arrival at the boat, the cutter crew found that the weather conditions were too bad to board. In addition, they found that the boat contained several remains in a very far-reaching state of decomposition.
Despite the bad weather conditions, the cutter Panther made several attempts to tow the boat, but the tow line broke off along the way. In the end, the boat was out of sight of the cutter Panter due to bad weather conditions and nightfall. After this it was no longer possible to trace the boat. The JRCC has sent a notification to the ships and maritime authorities in the region with the message to keep a close eye on the boat floating at sea. The Coast Guard, together with the Aruban authorities and international partners, has started an investigation into the origin of the boat.