BOOTHBAY HARBOR, M.E. — Three fishermen were rescued by a crew from the U.S. Coast Guard Station Boothbay Harbor, 23 miles off the coast of Maine.
According to the Coast Guard, the incident occurred around 7:03 a.m. on Wednesday, when Sector Northern New England recieved a mayday call from the crew of the Vesta Renee, who reported that their vessel was “taking on water” and that they were going to abandon ship.
The crew was asked to turn on their Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon to help crews find them, as the fishermen did not have a life raft or flotation devices.
Ten minutes later, Sector Northern New England deployed a 47-motor lifeboat crew, alongside an HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircrew and MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter aircrew from Air Station Cape Cod.
Nearly two hours after the initial mayday was issued, Coast Guard members located the fishing crew 23 miles south of Boothbay Harbor.
“Our crews are constantly training for situations like this so they can respond as quickly as possible when lives are at risk,” said Lt. Jeanpierre Freeman. “Because of that preparation and the crew’s fast response, all three fishermen were recovered from the water within minutes of arriving on scene.”
Two of the mariners reported no injuries, while the other had reported minor hypothermia.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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