Just about two hours after the MV Apple Syder sank shortly after leaving the Basseterre Ferry Terminal at 8:33am on Monday June 29^th (where 47 persons were safely rescued), St. Kitts-Nevis Defence Force’s (SKNDF) Coast Guard responded to a second Maritime Distress situation on the same day.

The boat involved was Motor Vessel M/V BAHBYE.

A press release posted on social media by the SKNDF says “at approximately 1045 hours (or 10:45am), the SKNDF Coast Guard was alerted to the M/V Bahbye, a 40-foot blue and white fishing vessel, in distress approximately 13 nautical miles off Antigua while en route from St. Kitts.”

SKN’s Coast Guard coordinated with the Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force (ABDF) Coast Guard to launch a Search and Rescue operation, because the incident occurred within Antigua and Barbuda’s territorial waters.

The vessel took on water and sank with eight persons on board. Thankfully, all eight persons abandoned ship safely and boarded the emergency dinghy. A cargo vessel, the M/V Tropical Hope, responded to the distress call and with assistance from another nearby vessel, recovered all survivors from the dinghy. They were escorted to Antigua by the ABDF Coast Guard. All eight persons were reported to be in good health and in good spirits.