OREGON INLET, N.C. – Coast Guard and commercial salvage crews towed the re-floated fishing trawler Sheila Rene through Sunday night to its safe mooring in Wanchese, N.C., Monday afternoon.
Friday evening the 77-foot trawler grounded 150 yards south of Bonner Bridge. A Station Oregon Inlet 47-foot rescue boat crew attempted to dislodge the Sheila Rene, but were unable to free them.
Conditions worsened for the crew overnight and the Coast Guard deemed it unsafe for them to stay on the grounded trawler. An Air Station Elizabeth City MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter crew hoisted them off Saturday morning and delivered them to the station.
Coast Guard and Sea Tow crews worked to free the trawler at high tides. After ungrounding and re-grounding on other bars, it was secured by lines to a Dare County bulldozer.
Sunday Coast Guard crews transferred Sheila Rene’s master and crew with two Coast Guard engineers aboard to inspect its integrity. They found that there was no serious damage.
The 42-foot fishing boat Handful capsized that day while its crew was working with Sea Tow to free the trawler. It is currently submerged and marked.
The Sheila Rene re-floated Sunday evening and the Coast Guard crews began towing them away from the bar. The Coast Guard Cutter Staten Island’s crew towed them through Sunday night and the salvage tug Cindi J. brought them the rest of the way to Wanchese Monday afternoon.
