The Coast Guard rescued four people Thursday night from a fishing boat after a collision between two fishing boats occurred approximately 10 miles south of Block Island, Rhode Island.
At approximately 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Coast Guard Sector Long Island Sound received a distress call via VHF-FM channel 16 of two fishing boats colliding.
Coast Guard Sector Long Island Sound watchstanders issued an urgent marine information broadcast and dispatched crews aboard a Coast Guard Station Montauk 47-foot motor lifeboat (MLB) and a Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter to assist.
The 87-foot scalloper, Vanquish, reported six people aboard, no damage and no injuries. Meanwhile, the 55-foot trawler, Mattie and Maren II, reported four people aboard, flooding in the engine room and that they were unable to keep up with dewatering efforts. It was reported all crew members aboard Mattie and Maren II donned survival suits and prepared an EPIRB and life raft in case abandoning ship became necessary.
Station Montauk’s MLB crew arrived on scene at approximately 9:15 p.m. A crewmember from Station Montauk embarked the fishing vessel Mattie and Maren II with a P-6 dewatering pump to attempt and assist in dewatering efforts, but was unsuccessful due to deteriorating weather with four-to-six-foot seas and 23 mile per hour winds.
All four passengers aboard the Mattie and Maren II were transferred to the Coast Guard MLB and taken to Station Montauk with no reported injuries. The Vanquish returned to homeport in New Bedford, Massachusetts.
“The quick thinking and preparedness of the crew, including donning survival suits and readying emergency equipment, played a crucial role in their safe rescue despite challenging conditions,” said Lt. Jonathan Roth, a Sector Long Island Sound command duty officer. “I commend the exceptional teamwork and expertise of our Station Montauk and Air Station Cape Cod crews, whose swift actions and professionalism brought all four mariners to safety amidst challenging seas.”
Sector Long Island Sound has issued a safety marine information broadcast for the vessel adrift. The cause of the collision is currently under investigation.
