This morning the Coast Guard received a notice from the St. Maarten police that persons was in a drowning situation in the water at Back Bay. The person, a lady, fell in the water after a wave surge swept her away. She was there fishing with her partner when she fell off the rocks into the water. Her partner jumped into the water in an attempt the help her get out of the water, but unfortunately he was unable to rescue her.
A nearby fisherman who was an onlooker in the situation and alarmed the authorities. The nearby fisherman assisted them by offering his cooler as a floatation device. Her partner managed to get himself out of the water onto the rocks, and back to safety after many attempts to retrieve the lady.
The Coast Guard Metal Shark was immediately dispatched to the location in order to assist. At arrival the Metal Shark patrol found the lady unconscious laying in the water. The Metal Shark patrol got her out of the water and brought her to the pier at Great Bay where an ambulance was waiting. There the paramedics and Coast Guard personnel gave CPR to the victim, but sadly she already passed away. The St. Maarten Sea Rescue patrol had also sailed to the site to assist the Fire Department personnel with retrieving her wounded partner to an area where paramedics were able to treat him and where the ambulance took him to the Sint Maarten Medical center.
The Coast Guard wishes the family of the deceased a lot of strength.