Good boating safety practices were a huge factor in the rescue of two distressed boaters today as a boat crew from Coast Guard Station New Haven pulled a man from the water and a woman and her dog from their vessel, which had run aground off the coast of Connecticut. At 11:20 a.m. today,
Coast Guard Sector Long Island Sound Command Center received a MAYDAY call over marine radio channels. The caller reported that her husband had fallen overboard from their 35-foot sailboat and that the rescue line she had thrown to him had become entangled in the vessel’s propeller, rendering it dead in the water. The vessel ran aground on Outer Island, a part of the Thimble Islands.
A Coast Guard boat crew from Station New Haven was diverted from training operations to respond and was on-scene within 15 minutes. The crew was able to quickly locate the 78-year-old man and pull him from the water and disembark his wife and dog from the grounded vessel. They delivered them to a Branford Police Department marine unit for treatment on shore.
“The level of preparedness and quick response by the mariners allowed the Coast Guard enough time to respond”, said Lt. Jason Schaumburg, Command Duty Officer, Sector Long Island Sound. “They were clearly aware of what to do in a ‘man over board’ situation and executed it calmly and quickly. They broadcasted ‘MAYDAY’ immediately and were able to report a clear and accurate position. Most importantly, both were wearing life preservers.”
The Coast Guard reminds mariners to be prepared for emergencies while on the water. Ensure that communications and lifesaving equipment are operable and that operators and passengers are able to respond appropriately. For more information on safe boating practices and complimentary vessel safety checks through the Coast Guard Auxiliary, visit the Coast Guard Boating Safety Resource Center at www.uscgboating.org , 1st Coast Guard District News