A St. Thomas fisherman reported missing Thursday evening was found and rescued on Friday morning from Savana Island after his small boat became disabled, the U.S. Coast Guard reported.
Search initiated after friend reported him missing
The Coast Guard said a friend called 911 at about 8:41 p.m. Thursday when 54-year-old Conrad E. Pondt did not return from a fishing trip. Pondt had left Krum Bay that morning in a 12-foot gray-and-white dinghy and was known to fish at Mermaid’s Chair, Flat Cays and Frenchman’s Bay, the Coast Guard statement said. His vehicle and trailer remained in the Krum Bay parking area when he failed to return.
Multi-agency response covered hundreds of square nautical miles
Multiple agencies began searching the area overnight. The Coast Guard said responders completed four air and five surface searches covering about 430 square nautical miles. Assets involved included an MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter from Air Station Borinquen, the Coast Guard Cutter Joseph Doyle, the Boat Forces Unit St. Thomas 33-foot Special Purpose Craft and Customs and Border Protection Caribbean Air and Marine aircraft.
- Missing person: Conrad E. Pondt, 54
- Departure point: Krum Bay (morning departure)
- Rescue location: Savana Island (found Friday morning)
- Injuries/condition: dehydrated but otherwise in good health
Rescue and medical response
The Virgin Islands Police Department’s marine unit located Pondt on Savana Island after his dinghy became disabled, according to the Coast Guard. Emergency Medical Service personnel treated him for dehydration at the scene; officials reported he was otherwise in good health following the recovery.
"It was a great outcome! Our Sector Command Center staff did an exceptional job managing this case from the initial report through the rescue," said Capt. Robert E. Stiles, Coast Guard search-and-rescue mission coordinator for the case.
Coordination and acknowledgement
The Coast Guard commended the Virgin Islands Police Department unit and all partner agencies and rescue organisations involved in the operation. The agency highlighted the coordinated nature of the response across air and surface units and credited the successful outcome to interagency cooperation.
| Resource | Role |
|---|---|
| MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter | Air search |
| USCG Cutter Joseph Doyle | Surface patrol/search |
| Boat Forces Unit St. Thomas craft | Near-shore surface search and rescue |
| Customs & Border Protection Caribbean Air and Marine | Air support |
The Coast Guard did not provide further details about what disabled the dinghy. The agency emphasised the role of prompt reporting by concerned friends and robust interagency coordination in locating and recovering the fisherman.
