Coast Guard rescues overdue lobsterman

BOSTON - The Coast Guard rescued a 50-year-old lobsterman Monday after his boat became disabled and adrift in Broad Cove, Maine.

Coast Guard Station Boothbay Harbor received phone calls from the man’s father and friend after he did not return from his fishing trip when expected.

A 47-foot and 25-foot boat crew from Station Boothbay Harbor and two boats from the Maine Marine Patrol searched the area and found the man aboard the 24-foot lobster boat.

He was reported as not injured and the 25-foot boat crew is towing his boat to Thomaston, Maine.

“This is a great example of why it’s important to tell a friend or loved one where you are going and when you are expected to return,” said Petty Officer 1st Class Timothy Sperry from Coast Guard Sector Northern New England. “We would also like to thank the MMP for their assistance with this case.”

Station Boothbay Harbor boat crew earns awards

PORTLAND, Maine - A boat crew from Coast Guard Station Boothbay Harbor received awards at the station last Thursday for their response to a fire July 11, 2008, at the Washburn and Doughty Shipyard in East Boothbay, Maine.

Rear Adm. Dale G. Gabel, the commander of the First Coast Guard District, presented Petty Officer 2nd Class Jesse D. Sullivan with the Coast Guard’s Achievement Medal. Gabel awarded letters of commendation to: Petty Officer 1st Class Justin B. Young, Petty Officers 3rd Class Andrew P. Sparber, Brandon S. Mellul, Joseph J. Lanigan, Seaman Crystal J. Peters and Seaman Brent W. Blackwood

“These awards are well-deserved,” said Capt. James B. McPherson, the commander of Sector Northern New England. “This Coast Guard boat crew demonstrated exceptional professionalism and bravery. Their efforts resulted in the safe evacuation of two shipyard workers and prevented the potential injury of numerous others.”

During the response the crew evacuated two shipyard workers from the shipyard, they helped relocate several vessels from nearby mooring fields, and enforced a 500 yard safety zone to prevent onlookers from getting too close to the fire.

PORTLAND, Maine - Crewmembers from Coast Guard Station Boothbay Harbor, Maine, were presented awards July 21, 2008 for their response to an early morning fire at the Washburn and Doughty Shipyard in East Boothbay, Maine, July 11, 2008. From left are: Seaman Crystal J. Peters, Petty Officer 3rd Class Andrew P. Sparber, Petty Officer 2nd Class Jesse Sullivan, Rear Adm. Dale G. Gabel, Petty Officer 1st Class Justin B. Young, Petty Officer 3rd Class Brandon S. Mellul and Petty Officer 3rd Class Joseph J. Lanigan.

U.S. Coast Guard Photo

Possible Heart Attack Victim Medevaced From Ferry

BOSTON- A Coast Guard boat crew medevaced a passenger aboard the Balmy Days ferry near Monhegan Island, Maine, around 11:25 a.m., today.

Coast Guard Station Boothbay Harbor received a cell phone call from the captain of the 65-foot ferry around 10:55 a.m., requesting assistance for a passenger who was experiencing possible heart attack symptoms.

The station launched a 47-foot rescue boat, which met the Boothbay Harbor-based ferry south of John’s Bay.

The Coast Guard crew administered oxygen to the patient during transit to the dock at St. Andrews Hospital in Boothbay Harbor, Maine, and transferred him to medical staff for further care.

“The crew of the ferry responded appropriately by calling on the Coast Guard when the passenger became ill,” said Chief Petty Officer Chuck Chavtur, the officer in charge at Coast Guard Station Boothbay Harbor and the coxswain on the case.

Warm weather keeps Coast Guard busy

BOSTON (D1 Public Affairs) - Coast Guard Sector Northern New England was extremely busy conducting multiple operations as warm temperatures sharply increased boating activity in New England waters this past weekend.

Personnel from the sector, located in South Portland, Maine, responded to three fires. The first occurred Friday when the Washburn and Doughty Shipyard in East Boothbay, Maine caught fire. Coast Guard boats from Station Boothbay Harbor enforced a safety zone around the area and transported firefighters around the shipyard so that they could get to areas they otherwise couldn’t reach.

Saturday, Coast Guard Station South Portland, Maine, and several other state and local agencies responded when the fishing boat Kimberly Marie caught fire and exploded with one person aboard off the coast of Cape Elizabeth, Maine, about 10:30 a.m.

Today, Station Jonesport, Maine, launched a boat when the fishing vessel Brennon Leigh caught fire in Milbridge, Maine. The local fire department took both people who were aboard off the vessel before in sunk.

The sector also responded to several uncorrelated mayday calls and about 22 requests for help from disabled and grounded boats throughout New Hampshire, Maine and Vermont.

“We’d like to remind boaters to remain safe and vigilant while enjoying the warm weather and to use basic life saving equipment such as life jackets, a VHF radio, and a satellite locating device,” said Lt. Gerald Hewes of Sector Northern New England.

Coast Guard helping Boothbay Harbor Fire Department extinguish shipyard blaze

BOSTON (D1 Public Affairs) - Coast Guard Station Boothbay Harbor, Maine, is helping the Boothbay Harbor Fire Department extinguish a fire that broke out earlier today at the Washburn and Doughty Shipyard in East Boothbay, Maine.

A 47-foot motor lifeboat from Station Boothbay Harbor is transporting firefighters around the shipyard so that they can get to areas they otherwise couldn’t reach.

Additionally, a 25-foot response boat from Station Boothbay Harbor is enforcing a safety zone around the shipyard to keep mariners away from the dangerous area. A response petty officer from Sector Northern New England is en route to the shipyard to see if there is any pollution as a result of the fire.

“We have had a great flow of communication and cooperation with the fire department throughout the day,” said Cmdr. Michael Ryan, the deputy commander of Sector Northern New England. “As a result, both agencies have benefited and have been able to respond more effectively.”

Coast Guard helps man after boat fire

BOSTON - The Coast Guard helped rescue a 50-year old man after his boat caught fire near Pumpkin Island, Maine, around 9 a.m., today.

Coast Guard Station Boothbay Harbor received a radio call from the fishing vessel Foxy Lady reporting that the 35-foot lobster boat Perry’s Pride III had caught on fire.

A 25-foot and 47-foot boat crew from Station Boothbay Harbor responded to the call. When the crews arrived on scene, the fishing vessel Victoria Secret had recovered the man from the water.

The man was transferred to a Coast Guard boat and taken to the dock of a local Boothbay Harbor hospital.

His condition is unknown.

He was the only person aboard at the time and was wearing a survival suit.

The South Bristol, Maine, vessel sank in approximately 108 feet of water and is not believed to be a hazard to navigation at this time. There have been no reports of pollution.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

“We are grateful for the local fishermen who helped rescue this man,” said Paul Connor, a search and rescue controller for Coast Guard Sector Northern New England. “It is a true of example of how mariners in this community come together to help others in trouble.”

Coast Guard finishes busy two weeks in northern New England

BOSTON - (D1 Public Affairs) Coast Guard units in northern New England performed major search and rescue cases the past few weeks including saving two people from a life raft and responding to a plane crash.

A Station Southwest Harbor, Maine, 47-foot motor life boat crew rescued a father and son from a life raft in foggy conditions after the 40-foot lobster boat they were in caught fire and sank near Mount Harbor Rock June 17.

The lobster boat crew drifted for about two hours in dense fog until they got a cell phone signal and were able to reach a family friend ashore, who alerted the Coast Guard.

A Falcon jet and Jayhawk rescue helicopter from Air Station Cape Cod, Mass., a Southwest Harbor 41-foot utility boat, and the Jonesport, Maine-based Coast Guard Cutter Moray, an 87-foot patrol boat, assisted in the case. No injuries were reported.

Brunswick Naval Air Station personnel called the Coast Guard Command Center in South Portland June 15, alerting them that a Cessna Skymaster they were tracking disappeared from radar 20 nautical miles east of Cape Elizabeth at 8,000 feet.

An Air Station Cape Cod Falcon jet located the debris field, and reported the position to a Station South Portland 47-foot motor life boat, which recovered two bodies, a husband and wife from Millinocket, Maine, who were flying to New Jersey. Some of the wreckage was also recovered, and the cause of the crash is being investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board.

Station Boothbay Harbor’s 47-foot motor life boat responded June 14 to a 45-foot sport fisher taking on water 12 nautical miles southeast of Port Clyde. The vessel did have working pumps that were keeping up with the flooding, but the Coast Guard boat provided a safety escort, and had another dewatering pump on standby. The vessel was safely moored in Ocean Point Marina.

In addition to these cases, Coast Guard units in Northern New England responded to other calls involving disabled vessels that required communications assistance, which were all resolved safely.

“The summer boating season is in full swing here in the northern regions of New England,” said Lisa Tinker, with Sector Northern New England. “We encourage mariners to enjoy their recreational maritime activities, but also recommend they keep themselves and their families safe by using basic life saving equipment such as life jackets, a VHF radio, and a satellite locating device. Additionally, boaters should file a float plan with a friend or neighbor, and never venture out on the water if bad weather is approaching.”

Coast Guard Sector Northern New England stretches from the Canadian border south to the Merrimack River at the Massachusetts and New Hampshire border. The Sector has six small boat stations and eight cutters that patrol its waters, performing not only search and rescue missions, but also aids to navigation, marine environmental protection, maritime law enforcement and homeland security missions.

Passenger vessel runs aground in Maine

BOSTON- Charter vessel Argo ran aground near Boothbay Harbor, Maine, today around 12 p.m., with 3 crewmembers and 136 passengers aboard.

No injuries or pollution were reported.

Around 12:07 p.m., Coast Guard Station Boothbay Harbor received a radio call from the 65-foot vessel reporting they had run aground near Spruce Point.

The Coast Guard launched a 25-foot and 47-foot boat crew from Boothbay Harbor.

The vessel was able to re-float on its own and was escorted by the Maine Marine Patrol to its destination, Cabbage Island.

A Coast Guard marine investigator is scheduled to inspect the Argo to assess the damage and help determine the cause of the grounding.

A Coast Guard aids-to-navigation unit is scheduled to verify the position of the buoys in the area to determine if there were any discrepancies.

Both Coast Guard boats are escorting the vessel and its passengers back to Fisherman’s Wharf in Boothbay Harbor where the vessel will be inspected by investigators.

Conditions in the area were calm seas with winds around 10 miles per hour and 200 yards of visibility.

The case is under investigation.

“We are investigating the causes of how this incident occurred in our ongoing efforts to keep our waterways as safe as possible”,” said Lt. Lisa Tinker, the command duty officer at Sector Northern New England.