Sea rescue on Statia in doubt as government and former coordinator give conflicting accounts
ORANJESTAD, St. Eustatius - The Governor’s Cabinet says maritime emergency assistance remains available on St. Eustatius following the departure of the island’s former volunteer Search and Rescue crew. Former coordinator Lenaldo Courtar disputes parts of the government’s account and is calling for more information about the island’s current response capacity.
St. Eustatius has been without a dedicated sea rescue crew since its trained volunteers resigned en masse, and it remains unclear who will respond if an emergency occurs at sea. The Governor’s Cabinet says existing partners can cover maritime incidents, but former coordinator Lenaldo Courtar disputes that account and is pressing the government for answers about the island’s actual response capacity.
The Cabinet has not identified in its public statement which local personnel are immediately available, whether a trained crew is on standby at all times or what response times can be expected.
The government says it is preparing to recruit and train additional volunteers. Under its current planning, specialist training would begin in October 2026 and continue through April 2027. Its stated aim is to establish a fully trained and sustainable local Search and Rescue crew during the second quarter of 2027. These dates represent the government’s intended timetable rather than confirmation that a new crew has already been recruited or trained.
Disagreement over VOG decision
The Cabinet also addressed the refusal of Courtar’s Certificate of Good Conduct, or VOG — a mandatory background screening under BES legislation — for the coordinator position. It says formal Search and Rescue positions are subject to legal, professional, training and integrity requirements.
According to the Cabinet, Courtar’s application was assessed under the applicable BES legislation. It says the Island Governor concluded, based on the judicial information provided and the public-safety responsibilities of the position, that legal objections existed and refused the VOG.
The Cabinet maintains that the requirement applied to the position and was not introduced specifically for Courtar. It also stated that his challenge before the Court of First Instance was declared inadmissible, leaving the Governor’s decision in effect.
Courtar agrees that the case was declared inadmissible but says the government omitted an essential detail: the documents were submitted three days after the applicable deadline. The Court therefore did not consider the substance of his objections or rule on whether the Governor’s assessment was correct. The government has not responded to that specific point.
Courtar also disputes any suggestion that the VOG refusal was an automatic consequence of judicial information. He says the decision required an individual assessment of the position, the nature of the information, the passage of time and the interests involved.
He has called on the government to identify the precise legal or policy basis for requiring a VOG for Search and Rescue positions, explain which roles are covered and clarify whether the same requirements apply to volunteers who may be called upon during emergencies.
Different accounts of crew’s departure
The Cabinet described the former volunteer crew as no longer operating “in its previous form.” Courtar says that wording does not adequately explain what happened.
According to Courtar, the trained volunteers collectively resigned following the VOG decision, concerns about his treatment and commitments to the crew that they say were not fulfilled. He describes their departure as the result of a breakdown in trust, rather than an abandonment of the community.
The Cabinet has expressed appreciation for the former volunteers and says it remains open to constructive dialogue. It maintains that everyone serving in the formal organisation must meet the requirements applicable to their role.
Questions remain about present rescue capacity
Courtar is asking the government to provide more specific information about the arrangements now in place. His questions include who coordinates distress calls, who is qualified to operate the rescue vessel NORA, whether trained personnel are available around the clock and what response times can be expected from local and off-island assistance.
“The government’s statement provides general assurances that maritime assistance remains available, but does not answer those operational questions in detail,” Courtar said in response.
Both sides say they support restoring a reliable local Search and Rescue service. Courtar and the former crew have expressed willingness to participate in discussions, while the Cabinet says it remains committed to protecting life at sea and rebuilding a fully operational team. Until that team is in place, the precise arrangements for responding to a maritime emergency at Statia remain publicly unaccounted for.
