Crew of Floating Casino Rescued by Coast Guard
A gambling boat, en route from Ft. Lauderdale to Jacksonville for repairs, had its tow line snap in rough seas Friday night, resulting in a daring Coast Guard helicopter rescue of the five crew members still aboard. The Sun Cruz 9 had lost two engines and a generator during the voyage, and was being towed by a fishing ship. When lines could not be kept in place between the two vessels, the Sun Cruz crew managed to anchor the ship and call the Coast Guard.
A helicopter arrived at the boat early Saturday, and began the difficult and dangerous process of airlifting the crew off the boat. Seas were as high as ten feet, and forty-five mile-per-hour gusts buffeted the chopper and boat.
Coast Guard Lt. Michael Brimblecom piloted and commanded the rescue. He had just recently been promoted, and the mission was his first in command.
All five crew members were safely rescued and returned to land. The boat was left anchored until it could be retrieved in calmer conditions, if it survived the heavy seas.
The SunCruz line has been a star-crossed one. Original owner Gus Boulis became embroiled in a dispute over the conditions of sale when he allowed Jack Abramoff and Adam Kidan to buy the gambling line. During a grand jury investigation into the transaction, Boulis was murdered in a gangland hit.
Abramoff and Kidan went on to be indicted on fraud charges involving the wire transfer to pay Boulis. Both pled guilty, and Abramoff was also convicted of chrges involving corrupting public officials and defrauding Indian tribes, in his position as a top-ranking national lobbyist.
SunCruz since has lost several locations, some to lack of business, others to neighborhood complaints and local political attacks.
If the Sun Cruz 9 is saved and restored to working order, it might not be the luckiest ship on which to play. Perhaps the ghost of Gus Boulis is taking down the last remnants of the empire he once built.
