Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter File Photo
NEW YORK — The Coast Guard rescued three fishermen 72 nautical miles southeast of Montauk, New York, Sunday evening.
Coast Guard Sector Long Island Sound watchstanders received a VHF radio call at approximately 9:30 p.m., Sunday, from the 44-foot commercial fishing vessel Nite Nurse crew, reporting that the vessel was taking on water and sinking.
The Coast Guard issued an Urgent Marine Information Broadcast and dispatched a Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew, a HC-144 Ocean Sentry airplane crew, and the Coast Guard Cutter Kingfisher to the scene.
The Nite Nurse crew was advised to don life jackets and ensure they had an Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) with them prior to abandoning ship into their life raft.
The helicopter crew arrived on scene and located the life raft. All three fishermen were safely hoisted into the helicopter and transported to Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod, where emergency medical services personnel were waiting.
“This case was a success because these mariners did everything professional mariners should do to be found,” said Lt. Banning Lobmeyer, the HC-144 Ocean Sentry pilot who flew on this case. “They reported the problem early which led to a quicker response time from our crews. They stayed with their boat as long as possible before getting into their life raft, took and used flares and an EPIRB, and they were dressed appropriately in survival suits.”
