Fishermen clung to rope as their boat sank in frigid NC waters, video shows rescue
Two fishermen clung to rope and were pulled to safety by a Coast Guard crew as their boat sank in frigid North Carolina waters, video shows.
The rescue unfolded in the Pamlico Sound in the early morning dark Thursday, about 5 miles from Engelhard, according to a Coast Guard news release Friday night.
The men alerted the Coast Guard about 2 a.m. Thursday that their 35-foot commercial fishing boat, Heathers Breeze, was “taking on water,” according to the release.
A crew aboard a 47-foot lifeboat from Coast Guard Station Hatteras got to the boaters and gave them a pump to remove water from the vessel, Coast Guard officials said.
“The mariners were unable to operate the pump, so a Coast Guard member embarked the vessel to help,” according to the news release. “Once aboard, the member explained how to prime the pump, then disembarked.”
About 10 minutes later, “the vessel began sinking and the two mariners abandoned ship,” officials said in the release.
Coast Guard video shows rope being extended from the lifeboat to one of the fishermen as he and his mate still stood on their rapidly sinking boat.
Both fishermen had life jackets on as they then jumped into the water, and one of them was pulled by the rope to the Coast Guard boat.
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The other fisherman floated on the water until he was likewise pulled to the lifeboat by a rope, the video shows.
The video lasts a minute and 37 seconds.
The fishermen were taken to Station Hatteras Inlet, and no injuries were reported, according to the Coast Guard.
Coast Guard officials didn’t say if they know what caused the boat to take on water. The incident, however, serves as an important safety reminder to operators of commercial fishing boats, they said.
“The maritime environment is often unpredictable and preparedness is crucial,” Stephen Sawyer, Coast Guard Sector North Carolina command duty officer said in the news release.
“We recommend commercial fishing vessels contact their local Coast Guard commercial fishing safety examiner for a comprehensive safety exam, have a reliable means of communication, and always wear a life jacket,” Sawyer said.
The sea temperature bottomed out at 58.3 degrees Thursday morning in the Pamlico Sound, according to SeaTemperatureInfo.com.
In waters 50 to 60 degrees, exhaustion and unconsciousness can set in within an hour or two and death anywhere from one to six hours, according to the U.S. Search and Rescue Task Force.
This story was originally published November 19, 2022 at 10:50 AM with the headline "Fishermen clung to rope as their boat sank in frigid NC waters, video shows rescue."