BRUNSWICK, Ga. – The Coast Guard rescued three people from the disabled 37-foot vessel, Cheeky 2, Tuesday morning approximately 150-miles east of Brunswick.
The Coast Guard received a distress call via satellite phone at approximately 7:45 p.m. Monday, after the Cheeky 2 reportedly experienced engine failure. Due to limited communication with the boaters, the Cheeky 2’s emergency position indicating beacon was activated. An HC-130 Hercules flight crew from Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater, Fla., used the EPIRB’s signal to locate, and establish clear communication with the boater’s aboard the Cheeky 2.
The 270-foot Coast Guard Cutter Forward, homeported in Portsmouth, Va., was nearby and transferred the distressed boaters aboard until the 87-foot Coast Guard Cutter Yellowfin, homeported in Charleston, S.C., arrived on scene to tow the distressed vessel to shore.
The Cheeky 2 is expected to be towed into a local marina at approximately 9 a.m. Wednesday. There are no reported injuries.
Since Friday, the Coast Guard has rescued or assisted 12 boaters in South Carolina, Georgia and Florida as a result of having a EPIRB. During a situation where communication methods are limited and unreliable, an EPIRB will greatly assist rescues crews and increases the chance of a successful rescue.
