CAPE MAY — The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Dependable is scheduled to return to their home port here Friday Feb. 19 at 11 a.m. after a 41-day patrol in the Caribbean Sea.
While on patrol, the Dependable’s crew was tasked with enforcing international laws and treaties, as well as coordinating the efforts of several surface and air assets.
The Coast Guard was the first U.S. agency on scene following the 7.0-magnitude earthquake that hit Haiti Jan. 12. Coast Guard crews provided initial response and first aid to Haitians. The Dependable’s crew arrived shortly after the earthquake and was tasked with patrolling the coast of Haiti to ensure the safety of Haitian lives at sea.
The Dependable’s crew repatriated the first 78 Haitian migrants interdicted at sea since the earthquake. The 78 Haitian migrants were rescued by the Royal Bahamian Defense Force, transferred to the Coast Guard Cutter Hamilton, and then transferred to the Dependable before repatriation in Cap Haitien, Haiti.
Once aboard Coast Guard cutters, all migrants received food, water, shelter and necessary medical treatment.
The Dependable is a 210-foot medium-endurance cutter.###
