Willemstad- On September 6, 2017 hurricane Irma hit Sint Maarten and left a trail of destruction on the island. Shortly thereafter, hurricanes José and Maria also passed the Windward Islands. Sint Maarten was left pretty much devastated and the residents of the island had a hard time.

The community received help from volunteers who came to the island from many angles. One of them was from the Coast Guard. After the passage of Irma, the Coast Guard personnel of the substations Aruba, Curaçao and
HATO helped on Sint Maarten.

The team of the Coast Guard cutters Panter and Jaguar helped for two weeks on the cutter Poema so the cutter was able to continue the support on the island.

The personnel working on the other islands have provided direct assistance on Sint Maarten. Some Coast Guard employees provided support from a distance by assisting the residents of Sint Maarten who had flown to the islands because they needed medical care, among others.

The Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard Director, Brigadier General Marine Corps Peter Jan de Vin, recently visited all Coast Guard substations to award the medals to the staff. In his speech, De Vin expressed his admiration for the fact that assistance was offered to others in a difficult period.

All involved received a well-deserved medal from the Coast Guard director, on behalf of the Dutch Minister of Defense, as a ’thank you’ and recognition for their help.