Boater detained after shooting responding Coast Guard helicopter: Federal authorities claim that a boater south of Louisiana opened fire on a Coast Guard helicopter responding to a distress call, leading to his detention.
According to a press statement released on Saturday, the Coast Guard reacted to a distress signal sent on Thursday by a 40-foot sailboat in the Gulf of Mexico, roughly 75 miles south of Southwest Pass, Louisiana.
After seeing a human and two dogs on the boat, when Coast Guard workers arrived on the site in a rescue helicopter, they tried to drop a radio on the ship.
The pilots then heard things hitting the helicopter after the suspect aimed “what seemed to be a weapon” at it, according to the press statement.
The helicopter left the area right away due to concerns for the safety of the crew and the aircraft. The announcement says, “Upon returning to Air Station New Orleans, the team saw damage to the helicopter rotors consistent with a weapon’s rounds.
The report adds, “On Friday, the Coast Guard Investigative Service returned to the location in an aircraft and a response boat, and the Coast Guard detained the boater without incident.”
The authorities did not disclose the boater’s identity, the accusations they are facing, or the reason for the alleged shooting at the helicopter.
Speaking on behalf of the Eighth Coast Guard District, Lt. Phillip VanderWeit said, “safety of life was our number one concern throughout this complex circumstance.” However, we could put this event to a peaceful conclusion because of our teams’ diligent and competent work and interagency colleagues.
The event was still being investigated as of Monday.