A 45-foot Response Boat-Medium crew from Station Milford Haven approaches a 24-foot pleasure craft Dec. 19, 2018, seven miles east of Deltaville, Virginia. U.S. Coast Guard photo courtesy of Petty Officer 2nd Class Joshua Heilman.
PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The Coast Guard assisted a mariner aboard a 24-foot recreational boat more than seven miles east of Deltaville, Wednesday morning.
The mariner notified Coast Guard Station Milford Haven watchstanders via VHF-FM channel 16 that his boat was taking on water on the Rappahannock River.
A 45-foot Response Boat-Medium rescue crew launched from Station Milford Haven to provide assistance.
The Coast Guard crew used a P-6 dewatering pump to remove water from the vessel and escorted the mariner to Broad Creek.
“Mariners should be prepared for emergencies, because you never know what’s going to happen on the water,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Joshua Heilman, coxswain for the case. “Bringing a dewatering device can prevent your vessel from sinking.”
