Coast Guard 45-Foot Response Boat-Medium file photo
CAPE MAY, N.J. — The Coast Guard and a good Samaritan rescued four people after their skiff began taking on water near the north rock jetty in Cape May, Tuesday afternoon.
Watchstanders at the Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay command center received a call reporting the vessel in distress and dispatched boat crews to assist with efforts to dewater it.
A 45-foot Response Boat-Medium boatcrew from Coast Guard Station Cape May responded to the scene along with two additional small boat boatcrews from the Coast Guard Cutter Hammerhead and the Coast Guard Cutter McShan as well as several good Samaritans.
The Station Cape May boatcrew arrived on scene within 10 minutes of the initial notification and was able to safely transfer the four boaters to their boat and began dewatering the skiff with a pump, while a good Samaritan established a tow.
A Tow Boat US crew arrived on scene shortly after to relieve the Coast Guard and good Samaritan crews from towing and dewatering the skiff.
The skiff and the four boaters were taken to the Bree-Zee-Lee Yacht Basin.
No injuries were reported.
“This case exemplified how the maritime community is willing to come together to assist fellow boaters,” said David Umberger, command duty officer at the Sector Delaware Bay Command Center. “The fact that mariners came together to help is commendable, but we can not over state the importance of having a life jacket for everyone aboard, having good communication equipment and understanding the area where you will be boating.”
