A Coast Guard 45-foot Response Boat-Medium’s spotlight shines on three people aboard a 19-foot boat near Sealevel, North Carolina, Oct. 1, 2017. (U.S. Coast Guard photograph by Petty Officer 2nd Class John F. Zegarra)
HOBUCKEN, N.C. — Coast Guard Station Hobucken personnel rescued three people Sunday night after their 19-foot boat ran out of gas in Styron Creek near Sealevel.
Watchstanders in the Coast Guard Sector North Carolina Command Center in Wilmington received a call from a woman at 7 p.m. stating her husband, son and son’s friend were overdue and had not returned at the time stated in their float plan.
A 45-foot Response Boat-Medium crew launched from Station Hobucken to search for the overdue people. After sighting a flare the father fired, the crew found the three people aboard their boat in a marsh. The Station Hobucken crew towed the boat to a nearby private dock where the boat was moored up and family members were waiting.
“This is a good example of how filing a float plan and having up to date safety equipment can make all the difference,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Aram Chaghatzbanian, boat crew member on the case. “Upon seeing their flare, our crew was able to immediately locate and rescue these individuals and get them back to their families.”
No injuries or pollution were reported.
For more information on how to fill out a float plan, click on this link.
