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Joined: Oct 1999
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8 Cubans Slat Traders Rescued, 3 Missing After "Helga" Capsizes

At last light this evening, the Coast Guard stopped today's search for three Cuban men missing at sea after a disaster beyond the reef�.

Captain Arturo Edrei Garcia, Nelson Perez Ardao and Alexis Gonzalez Cune were three of 11 men aboard the 220 foot cargo vessel named Helga on Sunday morning at 1:00 am. They were transporting a cargo of salt from Coloradas, Mexico to Puerto Cortez Honduras, a route they often travel.

But on Sunday morning, the sea was very rough; and they were outside the reef where the vessel was tossed about by 8 foot swells. The Captain and crew came up with a plan to try and get to Turneffe and hide behind that island, but the boat started to take on water and keeled dangerously. They then decided to head straight for the nearest land, or the reef, but that's when the vessel toppled onto its side and they jumped off, with the engine running.

Now the water out in the blue can be as deep as a thousand feet, and at one in the morning in the throes of a squall, eight of them made it to a safety vessel.

The Coast guard got the distress call minutes before:..

Lt. Gregory Soberanis, Operations Officer BNCG
"Approximately 11:30 pm Saturday night, a coast guard operation cell receive a distress call from a vessel Helga - that it was in distress and it was rapidly taking in water and we immediately deployed our patrol station in San Pedro because we knew the position of the vessel - it was approximately 4 nautical miles east of Caye Caulker. We also know that there were 11 crew members on board. The sea condition at the time was very rough; a small craft warning was out at the time. Our initial deployment from San Pedro - our patrol found the first 4 crew members aboard a small life raft that is right here next to me. Thereafter a second search unit was deployed from this location to support the search efforts in that area. The first set of 4 was found at approximately 1:10 that morning. The search efforts continue throughout the night and a second set of 4 was found approximately found at 7:30 that morning in a second life raft. They were obviously de-hydrated, hyperthermia was settling for them, they were shivering die to the weather conditions. The life raft was severely beaten and battered and they were adrift close to the reef. So we caught them just in time. We were inform by the individuals that there were 3 others who were unable to make it into the life raft, however they were wearing their life jackets at the time. But those are the 3 individuals that are accounted for still missing that we are currently searching for at this time. As it relates to the search efforts, the coast guard has two assets out there currently doing surface search along with another vessel from the Caye Caulker emergency center. So far we've seen a lot of debris form the ship. The ship was a Panamanian flag ship flying the Panama flag. We were inform that it was coming from Mexico en-route to Honduras. It was transporting salt - it was a cargo vessel - 22o feet long so it was sizeable vessel. However the call we receive that night - the captain definitely - you can hear the sound in his voice that the ship was rapidly taking in water so ever effort is being made at this time to try to locate the 3 missing individuals."

The search will resume tomorrow morning and if nothing is found, may have to be called off tomorrow evening. The coast guard is supported by the BDF airwing which ahs been doing aerial searches.

To be clear, the 11 are not Cuban boat people or refugees; their documents are in order and they are salt traders. The survivors are:

Iraelio Mengana Garcia, 47yrs; Armando Garnado Martinez, 47yrs; Antonio Perez Sadez, 37yrs; Humberto Iglesias Hernandez, 49yrs; Alfredo Porta Martinez, 43yrs; Jose Consta Nalia, 46yrs; George Herrera Aldana, 38yrs; Joaquin Ruiz De Zarate Arribas, 39yrs.

There is another slightly less dramatic but equally important case of a man who had gone missing at sea but washed up alive on northern caye caulker. 55 year old American National Jack Burnette reported to police that he along with 3 other men - namely - Kenneth Cox, Gary Paumgargmar and Eric Resse - went diving about one mile north of Caye Caulker around 1 o'clock on Saturday afternoon. 40 minutes later, the men went back to their boat and that was when they realized that Eric Resse was nowhere to be found. But things ended on a good note - because on Sunday afternoon around 12 midday, Resse visited the Caye Caulker police station where he told police that he was rescued from the mangroves across from the split in the village.

Channel 7


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Update on rescue efforts at sea...

On Sunday 20th March, 2011, at about 11:00am, information was received from The Belize Coast Guard of a cargo vessel that had sunk about two miles out of the outer reef, east of Caye Caulker Village. Initial investigations revealed that the vessel was a cargo ship, 74 meters in length and 11meters in width, with the name HELGA that was travelling from Panama and was heading to Mexico with a shipment of salt. The crew consisted of (11) male person, all of Cuban Nationality. The crew rescued were namely: Iraelio Mengana Garcia, 47yrs; Armando Garnado Martinez, 47yrs; Antonio Perez Sadez, 37yrs; Humberto Iglesias Hernandez, 49yrs; Alfredo Porta Martinez, 43yrs; Jose Consta Nalia, 46yrs; George Herrera Aldana, 38yrs; Joaquin Ruiz De Zarate Arribas, 39yrs. The three that are still missing Arturo Edreira Cuza (Captain), Nelson Perez Ardao and Alexis Gonzalez Cune are still being sought by Coast Guard, Police and local personnel.
This information was provided by the Police Press Office...
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8 of 11 Cuban nationals rescued after salt ship capsizes

While families of murder victims are grieving the weekend's violence, eight of eleven Cuban nationals are safe and dry tonight. The Belize Coast Guard rescued the eight men on Sunday morning near the reef where their vessel had submerged. The men were in rafts when they were spotted and pulled out of the deep sea. Helga, their vessel, was transporting a cargo of salt from Mexico to Honduras and sea conditions were perilous. News Five's Delahnie Bain has this story.

Delahnie Bain Reporting

It's been almost forty-eight hours since the Coast Guard launched an intensive search for eleven Cuban Nationals, following a distress call that their cargo ship was sinking. The ship, named Helga, was travelling through Belize en route to Honduras, but it now sits at the bottom of sea approximately three miles east of Caye Caulker.

Lt. Jr. Grade Gregory Soberanis, Operations Officer, National Coast Guard

Gregory Soberanis

"At approximately eleven-thirty Saturday night we received a distress call via channel sixteen from a vessel, Helga, that it was rapidly taking on water and was sinking. The Coast Guard immediately activated and we deployed a rescue unit to the position that was given to us. Shortly thereafter, a second search unit was deployed from this location to support the initial search unit at that location. The vessel is a Panama flagged vessel. We were informed that the vessel was coming from Mexico and was en route to Honduras. Two hundred and twenty feet long, it was a cargo vessel transporting salt to Honduras."

Lieutenant Junior Grade Gregory Soberanis, the Operations Officer at the Belize Coast Guard, says they have rescued of eight persons.

Lt. Jr. Grade Gregory Soberanis

"At about one-ten early Sunday morning, the first four individuals were found on board a life raft similar to what you're seeing here. The search efforts continued because we knew there eleven individuals onboard the vessel at the time. At approximately seven-thirty the morning, the second four were found onboard a beaten and battered life raft close to the reef as well. We were informed by those that we rescued that the other three were in the water. They were wearing life jackets and were in the water but due to the weather condition at the time, they got separated."

But the search isn't over; efforts have intensified to find the ship captain and two crew members who are still lost at sea.

Lt. Jr. Grade Gregory Soberanis

"Search efforts continue along with our partner agencies; the Port Authority and the Belize Defence Force air wing to try and locate these three missing individuals. In our initial search, we had the B.D.F. air wing do an aerial search, however nothing was sited; only a lot of debris from the vessel. We found life vests floating that were from the vessel but we were informed by the crew that there were additional life vests that were onboard the vessel at the time."

The rescued men have received medical attention and were handed over to the Immigration Department in Belmopan for processing.

Lt. Jr. Grade Gregory Soberanis

"The eight men that were rescued were initially taken ashore to Caye Caulker where they were given medical treatment and further transported to Belize City and escorted by the Cuban Ambassador."

Delahnie Bain

"Were any of them injured or anything?"

Lt. Jr. Grade Gregory Soberanis

"None were injured. The first four, because of the rapid response by the Coast Guard they were quickly found. The second four that were found, they were quite dehydrated and it seemed like hypothermia was about to set in because they were quite cold. So they were given water, some food and of course medical treatment."

Soberanis says that following the search and rescue mission, the Coast Guard will conduct a marine casualty investigation to determine what caused the ship to sink. Delahnie Bain for News Five.

The men who were rescued are: Iraelio Mengana Garcia, Armando Garnado Martinez, Antonio Perez Sadez, Humberto Iglesias Hernandez, Alfredo Porta Martinez, Jose Consta Nalia, George Herrera Aldana, Joaquin Ruiz De Zarate Arribas. Meanwhile, Captain Arturo Edrei Garcia, Nelson Perez Ardao and Alexis Gonzalez Cune are still missing. Some of the stills in the story were provided through the kind courtesies of the San Pedro Sun.

Channel 5


Joined: May 2006
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No clear idea what happened to the ship. The waves were not 15 ft high. We were out there sailing on them with our windsurfers and can measure them with our masts. Seas were moderate with 10 ft waves and 18 knt winds. It is usual to have waves twice that height in that area,
One of the windsurfers got lost when his mast broke and we had to go get him too.

Last edited by Dane; 03/22/11 09:17 AM.
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I thought the news report said the distress calls started at 11pm saturday night - were you out windsurfing then?

Saturday night the wind and waves were large around San Pedro - then it had dropped significantly by around midnight or so.

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Hi, I'm a very close friend of Capt. Arturo Edreira Cuza of the sunken Helga.
Thank you all for your kindness in posting the information about this tragedy.
We will apreciate all information about the accident, search and rescue effort and in general any news about this tragedy.
The family is extremelly saddened in Cuba and will aprecaite all information on this regard.

Joined: Jul 2008
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65 hours sea no sighing of 3 missing men; family in Cuba are anxious
Three days after Helga went down in Belizean waters, the search continued today. Jorge Aldana has an update to the story.

Jorge Aldana - San Pedro Correspondent
After 65 hours, there is still no word from the three missing men at sea. The three missing persons namely Captain Arturo Edreira Cuza and crew members Nelson Perez Ardao and Alexis Gonzalez were all on board Helga, a Panamanian flagged ship that was transporting salt from Honduras to Mexico when in sank on Saturday night in Belizean waters.
According to the Belize National Coast Guard, the search restarted early this morning and concluded shortly after 5:00 PM. The search was futile since there were no visible sightings of any of the three men. The search for the trio will resume tomorrow however it is uncertain as to how much days before the search is discontinued.
And while the intensive search continues, family members both in Miami Florida in the USA and in Cuba are anxiously waiting for any word or new development in regards to news of their love ones. A family of Captain Arturo Cuza living in Miami explained to Love News that they are devastated and are still in shock. While they are asking Belizeans to keep them in prayers, they are also hoping for the best. According to family members Captain Cuza is married and is the father of two all of whom live in Cuba.
Following the rescue of the eight men who were also on board the vessel at the time of the incident, all the search and rescue crew have recovered so far is 10 passports.

Reporting for Love News, I am Jorge Aldana.

Love FM

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We were out after dark searching for our own guy, and then at dawn looking for the Cubans.

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Marty Offline OP
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CUBANS STILL MISSING AT SEA

Three days after Helga went down in Belizean waters, the search continued today.

Jorge Aldana reporting��.

"After 65 hours, there is still no word from the three missing men at sea. The three missing persons namely Captain Arturo Edreira Cuza and crew members Nelson Perez Ardao and Alexis Gonzalez were all on board Helga, a Panamanian flagged ship that was transporting salt from Honduras to Mexico when in sank on Saturday night in Belizean waters. According to the Belize National Coast Guard, the search restarted early this morning and concluded shortly after 5:00 PM. The search was futile since there were no visible sightings of any of the three men. The search for the trio will resume tomorrow however it is uncertain as to how much days before the search is discontinued. And while the intensive search continues, family members both in Miami Florida in the USA and in Cuba are anxiously waiting for any word or new development in regards to news of their love ones. A family of Captain Arturo Cuza living in Miami explained to Love News that they are devastated and are still in shock. While they are asking Belizeans to keep them in prayers, they are also hoping for the best. According to family members Captain Cuza is married and is the father of two all of whom live in Cuba. Following the rescue of the eight men who were also on board the vessel at the time of the incident, all the search and rescue crew have recovered so far is 10 passports."

LOVEFM


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Marty Offline OP
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Coast Guard Continues To Search; No Sign Of Cubans

The Coast Guard still has found no trace of three Cubans who went missing at sea on Sunday morning when their ship, the Helga went down in rough waters beyond the reef.

The search went all day today and will continue tomorrow. According to the Coast Guard they have found a lot of debris from the 200 foot ship floating but no signs of life or of the massive vessel itself.

As we reported last night three men disappeared when the boat went down beyond the reef: they are Captain Arturo Edrei Garcia, Nelson Perez Ardao and Alexis Gonzalez Cune. Eight were saved and they are housed at the Cuban embassy in Belize City.

The men were transporting a cargo of salt from Mexico to Puerto Cortez, Honduras, a route they often travel.

Channel 7


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