BALTIMORE – The Coast Guard rescued a man near White Rocks Point in the Patapsco River, after receiving a distress call from a good Samaritan Tuesday.
Rescued was Harry M. Foote Jr., 71, from Baltimore.
At approximately 8:15 a.m., Coast Guard Sector Baltimore watchstanders received a distress call from a good Samaritan reporting that after checking on a 20-foot pleasure craft that had been sitting in the water for more than two hours, he found Foote lying on the deck of his vessel unable to speak coherently.
A 25-foot Response Boat-Small crew from Station Curtis Bay, Md., arrived on scene at 8:29 a.m., and transferred Foote to the rescue boat.
“When we got there he was lying on the deck, conscious but not alert,” said Petty Officer 1st Class Benji Henry, a boatcrew member from Station Curtis Bay.
While in transit to the Maryland Yacht Club in Pasadena, Md., Foote began going into shock. Once on shore, the rescue crew transferred Foote to Anne Arundel County EMS who gave Foote further medical attention.
“The EMT’s said that his blood sugar levels were dangerously low,” said Henry. “It’s a good thing there were other watermen out, because if no one else was out, then we would never have gotten a call. It’s very important if you go out alone to tell someone where you’re going and what time you’re going to be back.”
The Coast Guard recommends that before setting out on the water, you file a float plan with a friend or family member. A float plan states your location and expected time of departure and return. In the event of an emergency or if a boater is overdue, a float plan can aid rescuers in locating the missing parties.
