1 dead after US Coast Guard, boat collide in Puerto Rico

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — A U.S. Coast Guard cutter and a Puerto Rico fishing boat collided Monday in an incident that killed one person and injured another, officials said.

The accident occurred in the early afternoon near the north coastal town of Dorado, according to a U.S. Coast Guard statement. The agency identified the dead fisherman as Carlos Rosario and said his brother, Samuel Rosario, was injured.

The two were aboard a 23-foot (seven-meter) commercial fishing vessel called Desakata, while the U.S. Coast Guard was traveling in a 154-foot (47-meter) fast-response cutter, officials said.

Capt. José Díaz, commander of the Coast Guard Sector San Juan, said a thorough investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board is under way to determine what caused the collision and how to prevent similar incidents in the future.

“We sincerely mourn the passing of Carlos Rosario,” he said. “We send our most heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and loved ones, and pray they find strength during this most difficult time.”