WILLEMSTAD - Two Curaçaoan men have been rescued after spending nearly two days adrift at sea following the disappearance of their fishing boat. The rescue was made possible through a coordinated search by the Caribbean Coast Guard and the timely assistance of a passing pleasure craft.
The Coast Guard received a report late in the afternoon of January 31, 2026, from a person who indicated that a fishing vessel with two men on board had gone missing. The boat had departed the Aves Islands on January 30, heading toward Curaçao. Following the report, the Maritime Operations Center (MOC) immediately calculated a probable search area for the missing vessel.
In addition, UMIB and NAVTEX messages were broadcast to vessels in and around the search area, requesting them to be on the lookout for the missing fishing boat. A Dash patrol aircraft operated by the Coast Guard was subsequently deployed and directed toward the area near Bonaire to assist in the search.
On the morning of February 1, the MOC received a report that a large crate, described as resembling a large cooler box, had been spotted between the rocks at Klein Curaçao. Shortly thereafter, a second report came in from someone who had seen a large floating crate, possibly also a cooler, in the water near Oostpunt, Curaçao.
Around the same time, the MOC established contact with the pleasure vessel My Pearl, which had received the Coast Guard’s broadcast on VHF channel 16 regarding the missing fishing boat. The vessel was en route from Bonaire to Klein Curaçao and immediately offered assistance in the search. Based on the new information, the Dash aircraft was redirected to Klein Curaçao to assess the situation.
Not long after, My Pearl reported sighting two persons in the water near Klein Curaçao. The men were floating on the lid of a cooler box. The crew of My Pearl managed to pull both individuals out of the water and maintained continuous contact with the MOC during the rescue operation.
Following the rescue, My Pearl proceeded toward Curaçao, where the two men were transferred to a Metal Shark patrol vessel of the Coast Guard. The rescued individuals stated that they had been drifting at sea for two days and were severely exhausted. Upon arrival at the Coast Guard pier in Parera, they were handed over to the ambulance service for medical treatment.
The Coast Guard wished the two men a speedy recovery and expressed its gratitude to the crew of My Pearl for their decisive assistance in saving the lives of the two fishermen.
