Introduction to the Incident

In December 2021, the serene beaches of Vieques, Puerto Rico, became the backdrop for a distressing event—the disappearance of 38-year-old Chicago resident, Joanna Rebis. An avid snorkeler, Joanna was last seen on December 8, 2021, around 1 p.m., near the Punta Arenas shoreline. Her sudden vanishing sparked an extensive search operation, drawing attention to the potential hazards associated with snorkeling in unfamiliar waters. 

Immediate Search Efforts

The alarm was raised approximately six hours after Joanna was last seen, when a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officer notified the U.S. Coast Guard in San Juan about her disappearance. This prompt report initiated a comprehensive search operation that spanned four days and covered 2,391 square nautical miles—an area roughly one-third the size of Puerto Rico. The search involved multiple agencies and resources, including the Coast Guard cutters Reef Shark and Joseph Tezanos, MH-60T Jayhawk helicopters from Air Station Borinquen, and HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircraft from Air Station Clearwater, Florida. ...Read More