THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, July 8, 1994 TAG: 9407080551
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PETTY OFFICER 1ST CLASS ALASTAIR WORDEN, U.S. COAST GUARD
DATELINE: ABOARD THE CUTTER TAMPA LENGTH: Medium: 88 lines
The small wooden sailing vessels, their bamboo masts and handmade sails filling the horizon, are full of Haitian men, women and children seeking asylum.
They bring with them only what they can fit into small bags.
They are tired, thirsty, hungry and scared.
Since October 1991, when Haitians started fleeing their impoverished nation in large numbers, the crew of the Portsmouth-based Coast Guard cutter Tampa has been saving their lives.
Tampa's first Haitian rescue on this patrol was early in the morning June 1.
``We arrived on scene with a small Haitian sailing vessel with 122 migrants aboard; it took a lot of convincing to get them off,'' said Ens. Jeff Yarosh, the ship's communications officer.
Two small boats, one carrying a Creole interpreter, were lowered from the Tampa while the crew worked to keep the sailing vessel from overturning.
Transferring the people from the crowded sailboats to the small boats and then to the Tampa is tricky and dangerous. Many of the migrants are so exhausted they need help putting on life jackets and getting aboard. Frequently, they have to be lifted up to the Tampa.
A week later, on June 9, Seaman Craig Bramble, the ship's lookout, spotted a 60-foot Haitian motor vessel which later was reported taking on water and sinking with 396 people aboard.
Again, the small boats were lowered for the rescue.
``Three times during the rescue operation, individuals slipped climbing down from the freighter and fell into the ocean,'' Kelly said.
Three members of the Tampa's crew jumped into the water to save them and later were honored for bravery.
Just before dusk, the daylong rescue was complete. The Haitians were safely aboard, having been given food and blankets.
``Our goal is to get the food to them as quickly as possible. It takes four of us to make that happen,'' Petty Officer 2nd Class Marvin Sams said.
The crowded conditions make it a challenge to ensure everyone is provided with the essentials. A shower and bathroom are set up. Diapers and bottles of milk are given to the parents carrying infants.
All 396 members of this group were returned to Port-au-Prince the next day.
Since then, the Tampa's crew has rescued Haitians daily, taking them to the Navy hospital ship Comfort in Jamaica. Another 168 Haitians, denied asylum, were returned to Port-au-Prince June 29 by the Tampa.
Today, the Tampa and its crew of 100 are headed home themselves. They are scheduled to arrive at the Portsmouth Coast Guard Support Center on July 20. ILLUSTRATION: Photos
ALASTAIR WORDEN
The Portsmouth-based Coast Guard cutter Tampa, above, prepares to
rescue more than 60 Haitian refugees crowded aboard a 20-foot
sailboat. Above left, members of the Tampa's crew pull a Haitian man
aboard the cutter. The Coast Guard transports the refugees, many
suffering from exhaustion, hunger and thirst, to a hospital ship
anchored near Jamaica where they are treated and processed. Most
are then returned to Port-au-Prince.
Graphic
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Petty Officer 1st Class Alastair Worden, a public affairs
specialist, wrote this account of Haitian rescue operations aboard
the Portsmouth-based Coast Guard cutter Tampa. The 270-foot ship
rescued about 1,500 refugees in the last two months, many of them
encouraged by new hopes of asylum in the United States. In all,
nearly 19,000 have been picked up this year by the dozen or so Coast
Guard vessels assigned to the Caribbean on rotating patrols. About
10,500 were plucked from the sea in July alone.
KEYWORDS: HAITI REFUGEES U.S. COAST GUARD by CNB