U.S. Coast Guard Helicopter Rescues 68-Year-Old Surfer Stranded Off Aguadilla, Puerto Rico

An Urgent Marine Information Broadcast (UMIB) is a radio safety message the Coast Guard quickly sends out to all boats in a certain area when there may be danger or someone could be in trouble (for example, an overdue vessel, person in the water, or sudden hazard). In U.S. waters these broadcasts are prepared and transmitted by U.S. Coast Guard watchstanders at sector/command centers over VHF and other marine radio systems so nearby mariners can watch for the person or vessel and avoid the hazard.

The MH-60 Jayhawk is the Coast Guard’s medium‑range search‑and‑rescue helicopter, a militarized Sikorsky H‑60 variant used for missions like rescues, law enforcement, and environmental protection. For night rescues it has:

• All‑weather, instrument‑flight capability so it can fly and hover in darkness and poor visibility
• Powerful radar, GPS and autopilot to hold a steady hover over a victim or boat
• A rescue hoist and cable plus a trained rescue swimmer to pick people up from water, rocks, or vessels
• Night‑vision equipment and a forward‑looking infrared (FLIR) camera and searchlight to find people in the dark by sight and heat signature.

Coast Guard Sector San Juan is the main Coast Guard command for the Eastern Caribbean. Its area of responsibility is about 1.3 million square nautical miles and includes Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, plus surrounding Eastern Caribbean waters. It is headquartered at Base San Juan and is staffed by U.S. Coast Guard active‑duty personnel, reservists, civilian employees and Coast Guard Auxiliary members, who work closely with Puerto Rico Police, U.S. federal agencies and 26 partner nations.

Coast Guard Air Station Borinquen is a U.S. Coast Guard air base located at Rafael Hernández International Airport in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. Its primary mission is search and rescue, with additional roles in law enforcement, aids‑to‑navigation support, and logistics. Operationally it falls under Sector San Juan and the Seventh Coast Guard District, and it provides helicopter (and some fixed‑wing) coverage mainly for the waters around Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the broader Caribbean region.

The Puerto Rico Police Joint Forces of Rapid Action (FURA, from its Spanish name Fuerzas Unidas de Rápida Acción) is a specialized bureau within the Puerto Rico Police Department. It combines air, maritime, intelligence, and tactical units that work closely with U.S. federal agencies on missions such as drug and weapons interdiction, border and coastal security, and other high‑risk operations across Puerto Rico’s land and surrounding waters.

In international search‑and‑rescue terminology, the “distress phase” is the highest emergency level. Entering the distress phase means rescue coordinators have reasonable certainty that a person or vessel is in grave and imminent danger and needs immediate assistance. At this point, the Coast Guard escalates from concern or alert to full emergency response—committing search aircraft, boats, and other resources on an urgent basis.

Authorities recommend that surfers and other recreational water users:

• Plan ahead: check official weather, surf and rip‑current forecasts before going out, and avoid conditions beyond your skill.
• Tell someone your plan (a simple “float plan”): where you’ll be, when you’ll return, and what to do if you are overdue.
• Use safety gear: stay attached to your board with a leash; weak swimmers and children should wear a properly fitted, Coast Guard‑approved life jacket when near or in the water; consider a whistle, waterproof light, or reflective tape to signal rescuers.
• Stay near lifeguards when possible and follow local warnings and flags.
• Learn water safety: know how to identify and escape rip currents and how to signal for help (waving one arm, yelling, staying with your flotation). These steps make it much easier for rescuers to find you quickly and reduce the chance of being stranded.