The U.S. Coast Guard successfully rescued a mariner late Thursday evening from a sailboat engulfed in flames approximately 60 miles east of Chincoteague.
At around 8:30 p.m., watchstanders at the Fifth Coast Guard District Command Center received a distress signal from a 406-megahertz Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) linked to the 45-foot sailing vessel Trilogy. The watchstanders immediately coordinated the launch of an HC-130 Hercules airplane crew and an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City. An Automated Mutual Assistance Vessel Rescue (AMVER) alert was also issued.
The Hercules crew arrived on the scene at 10:10 p.m. and quickly spotted a dinghy with a person aboard near the burning Trilogy. The MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew arrived shortly thereafter at 10:50 p.m., safely hoisting the 58-year-old man from the life raft. The man, who did not report any major injuries, was transported to Norfolk Sentara for further medical evaluation.
“Due to this mariner’s diligence to have an EPIRB on board his vessel, rescue crews were alerted to his distress and arrived in a timely manner,” said Lt. j.g. Erin Bellen, search and rescue operations unit controller with the Fifth Coast Guard District. “This mariner also filed a float plan with a family member, which the Coast Guard always recommends, even for short day trips. He also had an immersion suit, which he put on before getting into the dinghy. All these actions and planning for a maritime emergency helped save his life.”
The Coast Guard emphasizes the importance of safety measures such as carrying an EPIRB, filing a float plan, and wearing appropriate survival gear, which were all crucial in ensuring the mariner’s safe rescue.