The Consulate General of Saint Lucia in New York announced yesterday the successful rescue of three Saint Lucians lost at sea, enroute to Martinique.

The trio, Lindel Ericson Allen, 30, of Goodlands; Antoine Jn Marie, 53, of Desruisseaux; and Cirven Griffen, 28, of La Toc, had been missing at sea for nearly seven days.

On Aug. 26 at 3:30 a.m., Master Krysztof Dudzinski of the Curacao Pearl, noticed the fishing boat, Jah Walks on the Water (registration number 761350), drifting southwest of Puerto Rico, with three distressed mariners onboard calling for help. At 3:45 a.m., the three nationals, one of whom has a prosthetic leg, were picked up on deck with no documents or personal belongings. A brief investigation by Master Dudzinski and his crew revealed that the boat carrying the men had been reported missing by Customs officials in Fort-de-France, Martinique, its final destination.

Following the successful rescue, the Curacao Pearl which had been sailing from Trinidad continued on its journey to Port Charleston, South Carolina. The Curacao Pearl arrived around noon at Port Charleston on Aug. 31. The U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the Consulate General of Saint Lucia were immediately notified. U. S. Customs and Border Protection agents conducted protocol-based interviews with the Saint Lucians, and agreed to release them to the care of the Consulate General of Saint Lucia for their safe, prompt return to Saint Lucia. The vessel’s agent, Biehl & Co., assisted the Consulate General of Saint Lucia with coordination efforts for the repatriation of the three mariners.

Saint Lucia’s Consul General in New York, Hon. Julian Du Bois, traveled to South Carolina to greet the men and accompany them  to New York. On Tuesday, Sep. 1, they boarded JetBlue flight 881 to Saint Lucia.

The Consulate General of Saint Lucia released a statement expressing its profound appreciation to Master Krysztof Dudzinski and the crew of Curacao Pearl for the successful rescue operation, as well as to the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

The Consulate also expressed its gratitude to the attorneys at Biehl & Co., especially Sean Houseal, for its unwavering support of the Consulate, and of the mariners themselves.