CHINCOTEAGUE, Va. — A boater is safe after being rescued by the Coast Guard on Thursday evening.
The reason for his distress: his sailboat caught fire nearly 60 miles east of Chincoteague while transiting from the Bahamas to New Jersey.
The Fifth Coast Guard District Command Center, located in Portsmouth, received an alert for the 45-foot sailboat, Trilogy at about 8:30 p.m. The alert came from an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon, or an EPIRB. Those monitoring the situation launched an airplane crew and a helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City. They also issued a vessel rescue alert.
The airplane crew arrived on the scene just before 10:15 p.m. and spotted a dingy with a person aboard. The dingy was near the sailboat, which was on fire. The helicopter crew arrived shortly after, just after 10:45 p.m.
The helicopter crew safely hoisted the 58-year-old man from the life raft. He did not report any major injuries but was taken to Norfolk Sentara for medical evaluation.
“Due to this mariner’s diligence to have an EPIRB on board his vessel, rescue crews were alerted to his distress and arrive in a timely manner,” said Lt. j.g. Erin Bellen, search and rescue operations unit controller with Fifth Coast Guard District. “This mariner also had filed a float plan with a family member, which the Coast Guard always recommends you do even for short day trips. He also had an emersion suit, which he had put on prior to getting in the dingy. All these actions and planning for a maritime emergency helped save his life.”
The Coast Guard reminds boaters to be prepared to have a safe summer on the water. Some of these tips include wearing a life jacket, boating sober, having a float plan, checking the weather before going on the water, and always going out with a marine radio and an EPIRB.