Man rescued from uninhabited Bahamian island after three days shipwrecked

The marooned man fired flares from the destroyed sailboat, helping the coast guard find him

The Coast Guard rescued a man from an uninhabited island after he had been stranded there for three days.

On 18 August, the crew of Coast Guard Cutter Paul Clark rescued the man from the Bahamian island of Cay Sal – an uninhabited region between Florida, Cuba and the Bahamas. According to a statement from the agency, the Coast Guard Air Station Miami Auxiliary aircrew was notified about a “disabled sailboat firing flares near Cay Sal.”

Another aircrew located the marooned man and provided him with food, water and a radio, to allow him to communicate, the statement continued. The man informed the crew that he had been stuck on the island for three days “after his vessel became disabled during his voyage.”

That’s when he was retrieved and transferred to the Royal Bahamas Defence Force “in good health,” the statement said.

“We’re proud to have saved this man’s life. This case serves as a perfect example of why you must have the proper safety equipment on your vessel,” said Petty Officer 3rd Class Dev Craig, a Coast Guard Sector Key West watchstander.

“Without seeing the flare, the case may not have had a successful outcome,” he added.

A man who had been marooned for days was rescued by the US Coast Guard (United States Coast Guard News)

The news comes after another headline-making event earlier this month when the Coast Guard rescued three fishermen after their vessel sank near Nantucket, Massachusetts on 5 August. The men were not wearing life jackets and were found clinging to a buoy.

The coast guard, helicopter and lifeboat crew were launched to search for the men and their boat. The crew safely hoisted all three fishermen and transported them to Hyannis Airport, where they were treated by emergency services.