U.S. Coast Guard, Good Samaritan Rescue Six Boaters in Peril Off Atlantic City Coast
It was a hero-type rescue as members of the United States Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City along with a good Samaritan helped six people to safety after their boat began taking on water about 34-miles east of Atlantic City on Thursday.
The Coast Guard said watchstanders in the Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay Command Center in Philadelphia had received an alert about "a 28-foot pleasure craft" with six people on board in trouble as their boat was taking on water amidst bad weather and troubling waters.
That's when an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter aircrew from Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City went out to rescue those boaters.
In a video released by the Coast Guard to the media on Friday, you can watch as members of the crew rescued and hoisted the boaters onto a helicopter waiting to take them to shore.
(U.S. Coast Guard video by Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City/Released)
The Coast Guard also said that while the Dolphin aircrew was bringing up two of the boaters, "a nearby good Samaritan crew assisted with transferring the last four aboard their vessel."
Between the two, everyone on board the boat was safely brought to shore one no injuries were reported.
“These men no doubt made the right call deciding to be rescued in what looked like very unforgiving seas,” Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Matthew Swanner, the Dolphin pilot, said in a statement. "Luckily they had life jackets, which aided in their recovery and again, proved to be critical in saving these men. We encourage all boaters to have operable radios, EPIRBs and proper life jackets onboard."
The Coast Guard said that Sector Delaware Bay issued an urgent marine information broadcast letting anyone else in the water known about the adrift boat adding that the owner will make plans to salvage the vessel.