CLEVELAND – U.S. Coast Guard Station Cleveland Harbor rescued a 40-year-old female, a 60-year-old male and a 62-year-old female after their personal watercraft allided with a breakwall on Whiskey Island at the mouth of the Cuyahoga River Thursday at approximately 1:45 a.m.
A 25-foot small response boat (RB-S) crew arrived on scene and transferred all three safely to Edgewater Marina for transport to Metro Hospital in Cleveland.
“It took some time to get them off the breakwall because of their injuries,” said Operations Specialist 1st Class Mary Patterson, Coast Guard Sector Buffalo watchstander.
All three people sustained serious injuries from the breakwall strike and were not wearing life jackets.
The Cleveland Police Department contacted the Coast Guard after a 911 call from a 60-year-old male, who said he and two other passengers were ejected from their personal watercraft at approximately 1 a.m.
Cleveland Marine Towing assisted the crew with dewatering and trailering the craft back to the station.
All recreational boats must carry one wearable PFD (Type I, II, III or Type V PFD) for each person aboard. Any boat 16 feet and longer (except canoes and kayaks) must also carry one throwable PFD (Type IV PFD).
The law states you must have a PFD on board, but the Coast Guard recommends you wear your PFD at all times when boating. It is much more difficult to locate, access or don a PFD at the moment the accident occurs.
