NEW YORK – The four Massachusetts fishermen and their dog stranded 90 miles east of New Jersey were rescued by the Coast Guard and will reportedly be in Point Judith, R.I., around 3:30 p.m., Saturday.
The Megan Marie, an 80-foot fishing boat home ported in New Bedford, Mass., was placed in tow by the crew of the Coast Guard cutter Reliance, a 210-foot cutter based out of Portsmouth, N.H., approximately 7 p.m., Dec. 12, 2008.
The Megan Marie is being brought to Point Judith rather than New York so the crew can salvage the catch they have onboard.
The tow of the Megan Marie will reportedly be passed off to Sea Tow to be brought into a safe haven for repairs.
The captain of the Megan Marie contacted Coast Guard Sector New York via emergency radio to notify them that a net is tangled in the propeller Dec. 12, 2008, at approximately 12 p.m.
The Coast Guard quickly issued a marine assistance request broadcast MARB for vessels in the area, and began making preparations to assist the Megan Marie.
The Coast Guard Cutter Reliance was diverted and traveled 44 miles to the location of the Megan Marie.
“In this case the experienced crew had done a voluntary checkout by the Coast Guard to inspect their safety equipment in the past,” said Tim Cartom, a civilian search and rescue specialist at the First District Command Center. “It is essential mariners are prepared for bad situations before they even leave the shore. These men did everything right to make it back home.”
