Lt. j.g. William Kotowski, a Coast Guard officer assigned to USS Carr in an exchange program, was the first to make contact with the men aboard their small fishing boat, typical of the West African region.
"I could tell that the six people on board were desperate for our assistance because they did not stop waving their arms and yelling until our small boat got alongside," Kotowski said. "The only thing that I could think was, 'Please, God, don't let us be too late for someone.'"
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