US Coast Guard, Good Samaritan fishing vessel rescue six after pleasure craft sinks off Chincoteague, Virginia

The US Coast Guard and a Good Samaritan vessel successfully rescued all six occupants of a pleasure craft that suffered water ingress and later sank 60 miles (96 kilometres) off Chincoteague, Virginia, on Monday, August 2.

Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Virginia received the initial distress call through VHF Channel 16 from the captain of the pleasure craft Knot Stressin’.

The captain stated that the vessel’s engine room was flooded and all aboard were abandoning ship into a life raft.

The coast guard patrol boat Sailfish was diverted to assist alongside a boatcrew aboard a motor life boat launched from Coast Guard Station Chincoteague.

An Urgent Marine Information Broadcast issued by sector watchstanders was answered by the captain of Fishbone, a fishing vessel that was also in the area. Fishbone arrived on-scene and retrieved all six survivors.

The coast guard said that, in addition to having a working VHF radio and life raft on board, all survivors had properly fitting life jackets and personal locator beacons, which allowed watchstanders to know their exact location.

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