BALTIMORE – The Coast Guard rescued two people after they reportedly began taking on water in Cadle Creek off of Rhode River Wednesday.
Rescued were Tom Milkey and Yolanda Parker.
Parker called Coast Guard Sector Baltimore watchstanders via marine-band radio from a 27-foot boat reporting that the boat was taking on water.
Two 25-foot response boat crews from Coast Guard Station Annapolis, Md., arrived on scene and were able to dewater the boat using a pump. The boat was then towed to the Casa Rio Marina in Edgewater, Md.
The Coast Guard urges mariners to outfit their boat with a functioning marine-band radio as cell phones are typically an unreliable source of communication due to gaps in coverage and limited battery life. Using channel 16 on a marine-band radio is the most reliable way to communicate a distress to search and rescue personnel in the event of an emergency while on the water.
Also, boaters should try to provide as much information about their boat, situation and position as they can while making a distress call, in order to reduce search areas and response times.
“By using a marine-band radio and knowing their position, we knew exactly where to go,” said Scott Winslow, a search and rescue coordinator at Coast Guard Sector Baltimore. “That enabled us to respond quickly before their situation could potentially get any worse.”
