Thirty-three Haitian nationals were rescued by the U.S Coast Guard after a boat they were travelling in began taking in water six miles north of Cap-Haitien, Haiti on Monday, January 22.

The U.S. Coast Guard, in a statement on Wednesday, January 24, said the Coast Guard District Seven watchstanders received notification from the crew of Coast Guard Cutter Dependable, after they encountered a sailing vessel taking in water.

“Dependable’s crew did a great job of rapidly responding to the dangerous situation,” said Lieutenant Chelsea Chamberlain, a Coast Guard District Seven enforcement officer.

“The people were actively bailing out water in heavy seas and if our crew hadn’t arrived when they did, the vessel would have likely succumbed to the sea,” Chamberlain added.

The U.S Coast Guard said all 33 Haitians were brought aboard Dependable and transferred to Haitian authorities in good health on Tuesday, January 23.