GALVESTON, Texas – The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Dauntless and crew is scheduled to return to their homeport in Galveston on Thursday, after traveling over 8,000 miles during a 58-day law enforcement patrol in the Gulf of Mexico, the Straits of Florida and the Caribbean Sea.

The Dauntless departed five days earlier than planned when Hurricane Rita threatened the Galveston region. After getting underway, the Dauntless continued south to evade the devastating effects of the storm and to be in position to help mariners in distress. Passing it at sea, Dauntless turned in behind and followed the hurricane as it made landfall.

Upon returning to the Galveston area, Dauntless immediately began work restoring order to the Houston/Galveston maritime region. While maintaining an offshore radio listening post for distress calls, Dauntless’ crew conducted security boardings, provided offshore surveillance of the approaches to Houston/Galveston and assisted federal, state, and local efforts to quickly reopen the Houston Ship Channel. 

Once relieved by other Coast Guard assets, the Dauntless transited to the Straits of Florida to begin their patrol.

Almost immediately, the crew of the Dauntless was involved in a search and rescue case involving the fishing vessel Erich. The vessel was reported on fire and drifting in the Gulf of Mexico, west of St. Petersburg, Fla., and three crewmembers were reported missing. The Dauntless crew coordinated the search efforts of several Coast Guard assets looking for the missing crew.  Unfortunately, the crewmembers were not located.

In mid-October, the Dauntless received information that a 30-foot “go-fast” boat was sighted in the Straits of Florida heading north from Cuba toward the Florida Keys, possibly trying to smuggle illegal migrants into the United States.  The Dauntless crew quickly launched their small boat and intercepted the go-fast shortly after midnight on October 13.  When ordered to stop, the overloaded vessel increased speed and tried to out-run the cutter.  The Dauntless and small boat crew continued the pursuit until it finally stopped.  Shortly after the overloaded vessel stopped, it capsized, putting 31 migrants into the water. The crew of the Dauntless and the small boat, along with a Customs and Border Protection boatcrew, quickly rescued 30 people from the water. Unfortunately, when the vessel was righted, the body of a six-year-old boy was found trapped beneath the vessel. The Dauntless’ medical corpsman’s tireless efforts were unsuccessful in reviving the boy.  The child’s body was taken to Key West, Fla.  The boy’s mother and father, two of the migrants who were also in that boat, were permitted to enter the United States. The remaining migrants were transferred to Cuban authorities for repatriation.

The last week in October, as Hurricane Wilma threatened the Florida Keys, the Dauntless, along with five other Coast Guard patrol boats and a U.S. Park Service vessel proceeded to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to evade the storm. While in Guantanamo Bay, the Dauntless took on fuel and supplies and returned to the Straits of Florida to help with maritime recovery efforts in the wake of Hurricane Wilma.  Upon their return, The crew of the Dauntless maintained an offshore radio listening post for distress calls while interdicting two more go-fast vessels, suspected of transporting illegal Cuban migrants into Florida.

In early November, the crew of the Dauntless interdicted a small homemade raft with six Cuban migrants approximately 15 miles south of Key West and a second raft with 11 Cuban migrants approximately 15 miles north of Havana, Cuba.  In both cases, the Dauntless crew rescued the migrants from their un-seaworthy vessels, and treated some of the migrants for dehydration and malnourishment.  

During their 35 days in the Straits of Florida, the crew of the Dauntless also embarked migrants from other Coast Guard patrol boats and ships conducting alien migrant interdiction operations.  During this time, the Dauntless provided medical care, food, clothing and shelter for 300 migrants, including 11 children.

In addition to conducting Coast Guard boardings, and search and rescue cases, the Dauntless crew conducted launch, recovery and vertical hoist operations and training with Coast Guard helicopters from Air Station Miami. The crew also conducted training in damage control, gunnery exercises and navigation.  The crew of the Cutter Dauntless did enjoy some well-deserved rest when the cutter made port calls in to its homeport ,Galveston, Guantanamo Bay, and Key West.

The Cutter Dauntless, along with other Coast Guard cutters, is continuing to fill a vital role for the Department of Homeland Security by conducting counter-drug missions, preventing illegal immigration, and conducting search and rescue missions off the coast of the United States, in the Caribbean Sea and worldwide.

The Dauntless, one of the Coast Guard’s 210-foot medium endurance cutters, was commissioned in June 1968. Cmdr. Scott Decker, the cutter's 21st commanding officer, and his crew are excited about being back home and will enjoy some well-deserved time off with their families before departing on their next patrol.