KENNEBUNKPORT — Two fishermen were rescued by a nearby fishing vessel crew Tuesday, after their boat from Rockland began to flood nine miles off the coast of town.
Watchstanders at the Portland-based Coast Guard Sector Northern New England answered a call at 7:20 a.m. from the fishermen, whose “Plan B” vessel was taking on water and its pumps couldn’t keep up. The men were forced to don survival suits.
The Coast Guard dispatched an Air Station Cape Cod MH-60 helicopter crew, a Station Portsmouth, N.H. rescue boat crew, a Station South Portland rescue boat crew and diverted a nearby cutter called the Tahoma to the incident. In addition, the Coast Guard issued an urgent marine information broadcast asking boaters in the area to help in the rescue.
Crew members of the fishing vessel Cameran Lee responded to the UMIB and safely transferred the two fishermen from the 81-foot “Plan B” ship to their vessel.
The “Plan B” was listing on its port side, so Coast Guard crews determined the boat wasn’t safe to board the vessel to pump the water out of the boat.
No injuries were reported, and the Coast Guard will continue to monitor the area for pollution.
The boat sank approximately 3 1/2 hours after it began to flood in almost 300 feet of water, possibly due to a ruptured pipe. The boat’s emergency beacon, life raft and several pieces of large debris were recovered after it sank.
“This rescue highlights the importance of communication in an already hazardous environment,” said Lt. Nick Barrow, command center supervisor at Sector Northern New England, in a release Tuesday. “The value of Good Samaritans in our tight-knit community is invaluable.”
The United States Coast Guard First District Public Affairs Office said they wouldn’t release the names of the two fishermen saved because it would go against their policy.
Weather at the scene contained 10- to 15-knot winds and two-foot sea waves.
Owners of the capsized boat worked all through Tuesday to attempt to save the boat Tuesday afternoon, but it had already taken on too much water.
The Coast Guard protects roughly 20,000 commercial fishing vessels in the northeastern U.S., according to the release, and encourages fleets to prepare for the unexpected as the season continues.
— Staff Writer Matt Kiernan can be contacted at 282-1535, Ext. 326, or at mkiernan@journaltribune.com.
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