Recent Responses from Across the Nation

Reef Collision: 47-Foot Alden Picnic Boat

Watch Hill Reef, Watch Hill, Rhode Island

On July 3 at approximately 1 p.m., a 47-foot Alden picnic boat struck Watch Hill Reef near Watch Hill, R.I., and began to sink. According to Don Rich, president of TowBoatU.S. in Mystic, Conn., the vessel sustained severe damage: the propeller, struts and rudders were broken, the hull suffered a full penetration on the port side, and the running gear on the starboard side was also damaged. Because of the extent of the damage and the condition of the hull, the salvage and rescue operation required extensive effort and took about seven hours to complete.

Boater Rescued After Vessel Fire

Coast Guard Station Fire Island, New York

Near Coast Guard Station Fire Island, a bystander rescued a boater from the water after a 27-foot vessel became engulfed in flames roughly one mile east of the station. The good Samaritan observed the boater attempting to swim toward shore and contacted Coast Guard Sector Long Island Sound via marine-band radio. The boater was transferred to a Coast Guard Station Fire Island rescue boat and brought to the station for emergency medical attention.

The injured person suffered burns to the face and arms and was taken to awaiting medical personnel. The Coast Guard reported that the cause of the fire remains undetermined. This response highlights the importance of rapid reporting and the effectiveness of bystander assistance in maritime emergencies.

Search Suspended for Missing Swimmer

Far Rockaway Beach, East Rockaway Inlet, New York

The Coast Guard has suspended the search for a 35-year-old man who went missing after attempting to assist a woman having difficulty while swimming offshore at Far Rockaway Beach in East Rockaway Inlet. Witnesses report the man and the woman had been swimming when the woman began struggling; the man went under while trying to help and did not resurface. A good Samaritan recovered the woman and transported her to Emergency Medical Services personnel waiting on shore; she remains in critical condition.

Search efforts involved Coast Guard Station Jones Beach, Nassau County aviation and marine assets, New York Fire Department air units, and New York City Police Department divers. Despite these coordinated efforts, the search has been suspended pending further developments. The Coast Guard continues to review the incident and remains ready to resume action if new information becomes available.

Man Jumps From Whale-Watching Vessel

Cape May, New Jersey (near Cape May Point)

Authorities searched for a passenger who jumped overboard from the 85-foot whale- and dolphin-watching vessel Spirit of Cape May. At 10:17 a.m., a crewmember notified the Coast Guard that a passenger had jumped into the water without wearing a life jacket. Rescue units responding to the report included a small-boat crew from Coast Guard Station Cape May, an aircrew from Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City, the Coast Guard cutter Mako, and personnel from the New Jersey State Police. The coordinated search efforts focused on locating the individual and ensuring the safety of all passengers and crew aboard the sightseeing vessel.

Coast Guard Rescues Family from Sinking Boat

Off Bogue Inlet, Beaufort, North Carolina

Eight and a half nautical miles off Bogue Inlet, a Coast Guard rescue boat recovered a family of four from a boat that was taking on water. The father had called Sea Tow in Beaufort by VHF radio to report that his vessel was foundering near the Beaufort “sea” buoy with his family—three adults and a 9-year-old child—aboard. Later, a mayday transmission was heard twice before communications were lost.

Coast Guard Sector North Carolina watchstanders monitored the distress call and, using bearings from two towers, determined a search area near the “C” buoy about 8.5 nautical miles from Bogue Inlet. Station Emerald Isle launched a 27-foot rescue boat while watchstanders issued an urgent marine information broadcast in case other mariners could render assistance. Rescuers found three people clinging to the capsized vessel and one person floating nearby; all were wearing life jackets. The Coast Guard retrieved everyone from the water and brought them to safety. TowBoatU.S. from Swansboro later arrived to salvage the overturned boat.

This article originally appeared in the Connecticut & New York Home Waters section of the September 2009 issue.