NEW YORK – The Coast Guard is continuing the search for a missing 79-year-old man who was aboard a boat that capsized in the Hudson River near Poughkeepsie, N.Y., Friday, June 10, 2011.
The crews of a Coast Guard rescue helicopter from Air Station Atlantic City, N.J., and Coast Guard Cutter Ridley, a patrol boat homeported in Montauk, N.Y., are on scene assisting local fire and police agencies in the search.
At approximately 3:50p.m., Friday, Coast Guard Sector New York received notification that two people fell in the water after their boat began taking on water and over turned. One person was rescued by the local fire department.
Neither of the men wore life jackets.
When worn properly, life jackets can help save lives by keeping an unconscious person’s head above water and positioned for proper breathing. Because they are brightly colored and have reflective tape, life jackets can make it easier for rescuers to locate a person during a search.
Statistics released from the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) state that in the first five months of 2011, there were 55 drowning and 63 near-drowning incidents across 29 U.S. States and territories.
Drowning results from three major factors – inability to swim, effects of relatively cold water and alcohol.
