HAMPTON, Va. — The Hampton Division of Fire and Rescue and the U.S. Coast Guard worked together to rescue two boaters near the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel on Wednesday in under 15 minutes.
Around 11:15 p.m., the Hampton Division of Fire and Rescue responded to a report of a boat overturned with two individuals in the water. The individuals were initially reported to be at the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel.
When the first land-based unit arrived on the scene, the victims had already drifted toward Fort Monroe.
Hampton Fire Boat 2 and the U.S. Coast Guard, launched marine assets to rescue the two individuals in the water. Crews were helped out by a nearby fisherman who had a headlamp and a cell phone to alert officials to the overturned boat.
The victims could see emergency lights in the distance and relayed information to the Hamptons Emergency Communication Center.
Hampton Fire Boat 2 got to the scene and found an overturned Jon boat in the water. They also found both people who were in the water.
Officials said one person was wearing a life jacket, lying on top of the boat, and another was holding onto a cooler as a flotation device, without a life jacket.
Hampton Division of Fire and Rescue said both individuals were rescued and brought aboard. The U.S. Coast Guard arrived on scene, righted the small boat, and towed it back to Old Pointe Comfort Marina.
The boaters were checked for injuries, treated, and released on scene.
