US Coast Guard Rescue: Texas A&M crew of the Cynthia Woods
Tags: Texas A&M Galveston Cynthia Woods Aggies Sailing Crew Missing Gulf of Mexico Veracruz Regatta de Amigos TAMUG capsized
Length: 3:28
Description: The Texas A&M University at Galveston National Champion Sailing Team departed Galveston, Texas on Friday, June 6, 2008 in the early afternoon as part of the 'Regatta de Amigos', a sailboat race from Galveston to Veracruz, Mexico (630 nautical miles, 725 miles).
On board were four Texas A&M University Students and two Safety Officers. Three of the four students (Steven Guy, Joe Savana, and Travis Wright) attended TAMUG and the fourth (Ross James Busby) attended the main campus in College Station, Texas. Safety Officer Steve Conway was employed by Texas A&M University and was ex-USGC. Safety Officer Roger Stone was not connected to the University; however he was a volunteer with the sailing team and a Galveston resident.
Around 10 pm on Friday, less than twelve hours into their almost week long race, the Cynthia Woods lost contact with the shore party and later failed to make their 8 am (Saturday morning) check-in call via a satellite phone. The emergency contact for the Cynthia Woods placed a call to the USGC for assistance at 8:15 am.
After searching the area were the boat was last known to be, the USGC found it capsized with the 8,000+ lb. keel ripped off. There were do survivors found floating near the boat.
After searching into the night the USGC found all four students as well as Safety Officer Conway, after being in the water for over 26 hours, in the floating 5 miles from their boat at about 2 am. The five of them were clinging to four life jackets. They were spotted by a coast guard helicopter after the pilot noticed what was a flashlight flashing at the helicopter. He shined a spotlight down into the area and made visual contact with five survivors.
Later in the day, divers were able to get into the Cynthia Woods, which had since being discovered floating capsized had sunk down below the surface of the water. Sadly, Safety Officer Roger Stone was found dead below deck. His actions ensured the survival of the other crew members. Mr. Stone was truly a hero.
Texas A&M University and the family and friends of those involved are truly grateful to everyone involved in the rescue mission, especially the United States Coast Guard.
Author: txaggie2011
Source: YouTube
