On Wednesday the Coast Guard scrambled boats and aircraft after reports that a 45-foot fishing vessel opened fire near another smaller boat off the Florida Keys.
The incident occurred approximately 20 nautical miles southwest of Marquesas Key, Florida, sparked when a 20-foot pleasure craft called in a report that the fishing vessel discharged a firearm numerous times in their direction around 9:45 a.m., as noted in a statement from the 7th Coast Guard District.
This led to the 154-foot Sentinel-class fast response cutter USCGC William Trump (WPC-1111) racing to the scene while other boats from the station on Key West and a Coast Guard fixed wing aircraft converged on the area. A notice to all mariners, captured in the audio above, warned others to stay away from the area.
Once the Coast Guard was on scene, both boats were boarded and escorted back to port where the investigation into just what occurred is being conducted by the service and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
William Trump, named after a Coast Guard landing craft sailor who won the Silver Star on D-Day in World War II, is not a stranger to the odd goings on in the Florida Straits. Last December the cutter took part with other agencies in a 20-hour, high-speed chase of a stolen “go-fast” speed boat that covered over 300 nautical miles before the thieves finally surrendered.
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