Recent responses from around the nation
HOLED — The fishing vessel Sarah-Kate sits aground in Rockland Harbor, Maine, after strong winds swept through the area. The Coast Guard reported that at least five vessels broke free from their moorings during the storm.
Lobsterman missing
Station Rockland, Maine
The Coast Guard suspended an extensive search for a 24-year-old lobsterman last seen in a 21-foot skiff near Zephyr Ledges. He had left Matinicus Island at about 8:45 a.m. and was expected to return by 2 p.m.; his sister notified Station Rockland at 3:30 p.m. Over the next 28 hours, responders searched more than 100 square miles. Assets involved included a 47-foot rescue boat from Station Rockland; the Coast Guard Cutters Moray and Jefferson Island; a Falcon jet and a Jayhawk helicopter from Air Station Cape Cod, Mass.; a Navy aircraft from Naval Air Station Brunswick, Maine; two Maine Marine Patrol boats equipped with side-scan sonar; and roughly 20 local lobstermen who volunteered in the effort. (Oct. 28)
Storm ravages sailboats
Station Portsmouth Harbor, N.H.
Severe weather in the Gulf of Maine produced 11- to 12-foot seas and led to multiple sailboats breaking from their moorings near Kittery, Maine. Station Portsmouth Harbor responded after a report of an unmanned sailboat partially submerged near the pier in Pepperrell Cove. Crews launched a 25-foot boat and found only a mast protruding from the water. Local residents alerted the Coast Guard to a second boat that had been washed ashore about 300 yards from the pier. Station crews relayed the hull number to Coast Guard Sector Northern New England in Portland, which notified the owner and coordinated with the Kittery harbormaster to confirm ownership. Pepperrell Cove is normally sheltered on three sides, but the wind and wave direction that night pushed water into the cove, overwhelming the usual protection. (Oct. 26)
Grounded fishing boat
Station Chatham, Mass.
Coast Guard crews assisted two members of a Chatham fishing crew after their 40-foot vessel ran aground near Chatham and began taking on water. The crew reported they were grounded and flooding to Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England in Woods Hole. A 42-foot surf boat and a 44-foot motor lifeboat launched from Station Chatham but were unable to approach safely because of shallow water and heavy surf. Air Station Cape Cod dispatched a helicopter crew, which deployed a rescue swimmer and a pump to the fishing boat’s deck and directed the crew to don life jackets. The Chatham Fire Department and Coast Guard teams then attached a tow line and pulled the vessel off the sandbar back to Chatham. No injuries, pollution, or major damage were reported. (Oct. 25)
Navy ship picks up sailors
Cape Cod, Mass.
About 350 miles east of Cape Cod, the Coast Guard Cutter Spencer assisted two French sailors after their 38-foot sailboat lost its rudder while en route from Portsmouth, Va., to the Azores. The USS Gonzalez, the nearest Navy ship, initially took the pair aboard for the night until Cutter Spencer arrived. The sailors were transferred to the cutter, uninjured, while the Navy ship took the disabled sailboat in tow. The cutter later planned to transfer the passengers and tow to the Canadian Coast Guard near Nova Scotia. (Nov. 14)
Fishermen safe after capsize
Station Point Judith, R.I.
Three fishermen were rescued after their boat capsized two miles east of Block Island, forcing them into 55-degree water. The fishing crew sent a distress call on VHF radio and reported they were donning survival suits as their vessel sank. A helicopter from Air Station Cape Cod and a motor lifeboat from Station Point Judith launched, and the Coast Guard broadcast an alert requesting nearby mariners to assist. Another fishing boat reached the men first and recovered them from the water. One fisherman suffered minor injuries; the Coast Guard escorted the good Samaritan vessel to Station Point Judith, where EMS awaited. (Oct. 31)
Missing kayaker found
Station Eaton’s Neck, N.Y.
A kayaker reported missing was located clinging to Greens Ledge Light near Darien, Conn., by a Norwalk Marine Police boat crew and was in good condition. Coast Guard and Darien Marine Police crews had also conducted searches. The kayaker’s dog and car were found at the launch site, and conditions at the time included 45 mph winds and 4- to 6-foot seas. (Oct. 29)
Sinking sailboat south of N.J.
Air Station Elizabeth City, N.C.
Coast Guard units from six separate commands, including three cutters and three air stations, responded to a sinking 44-foot sailboat about 102 miles southeast of Atlantic City, N.J., after an EPIRB alert activated. Three people were aboard; two were saved, and one person was recovered but later pronounced dead by the Atlantic County Medical Examiner’s Office. Rescue efforts were challenged by heavy rain, 40- to 50-knot winds, and 40- to 50-foot seas, which prevented safe hoisting from the initial helicopter. A rescue swimmer and a sailor entered the water to assist, but a large wave damaged the hoist and life raft operations. An injured rescue swimmer had to be recovered using an emergency manual device intended only for extreme circumstances. Additional Coast Guard helicopters and cutters converged on the scene; Cape Cod crews ultimately recovered one sailor from the water, who was later pronounced dead in Atlantic City, and hoisted the two other sailors to safety. Both survivors suffered mild hypothermia but were in stable condition. The Coast Guard investigated the incident. (Oct. 29)
No fuel, no sails
Station Cape May, N.J.
Four people aboard a 41-foot sailboat were rescued 11 miles off the coast when they reported being low on fuel and without sails. A rescue boat crew from Coast Guard Station Cape May took the vessel and its crew under tow and brought them to safety. (Oct. 28)
Child hoisted from boat
Air Station Elizabeth City, N.C.
An MH-60J Jayhawk helicopter from Air Station Elizabeth City hoisted four adults and a 4-year-old girl to safety 175 nautical miles west-northwest of Bermuda after their 47-foot sailboat lost steering and propulsion while en route from Annapolis, Md., to St. Thomas. The crew used an HC-130J Hercules to mark the position and guide the helicopter to the scene. All five were hoisted in winds exceeding 30 knots and 15-foot seas and were transported to Bermuda. (Nov. 17)
Unconscious on the ICW
Station Georgetown, S.C.
The Coast Guard responded to a collision on the Intracoastal Waterway between the North Santee River and Winyah Bay near Georgetown, S.C., after a 17-foot boat struck a fixed aid to navigation. A 68-year-old passenger was transported to Georgetown Memorial Hospital and later pronounced dead. The other occupant sustained leg injuries and was treated on scene. A Coast Guard 25-foot boat crew assisted and handed the injured passenger to waiting medical personnel ashore. The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources was set to investigate the accident. (Nov. 1)
This story originally appeared in the February 2009 issue.