Members of the United States Coast Guard based in New London rescued two boaters from the water in Long Island Sound Friday near Watch Hill, Rhode Island, Coast Guard officials said.
The Coast Guard Long Island Sound command center received a "mayday" radio distress call from people on a 32-foot boat reporting that water was filling their boat and that they needed help, Coast Guard officials said.
A New London Coast Guard crew was dispatched to the scene on a 47-foot motor life boat at about 3:20 p.m. Dispatchers also issued "Urgent Marine Information Broadcast" and had the boat's captain "activate his PLB," Coast Guard officials said.
An Air Station Cape Cod HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircraft also flew overhead in the rescue mission.
Crews pulled two men from the water and onto the rescue boat. They transported the boaters to Noank Shipyard and emergency medical services were waiting at the docks to give them any needed medical care.
“This is a great example of mariners being prepared prior to going out on the water,” Chief Petty Officer Frank St.Pierre, the command duty officer at Sector Long Island Sound, said. “They remained calm, maintained constant communications with the Coast Guard on channel 16 VHF-FM, donned their life jackets, activated their personal locator beacon, and confirmed their position using emergency flares. The reliable gear on board the vessel and the outstanding response from Station New London and Air Station Cape Cod led to a successful rescue.”
Both boaters were transported to Pequot Hospital in Groton.
