The U.S. Coast Guard rescued four people Tuesday afternoon after their 14-foot skiff capsized in Deep Cove near Eastport.

Ocean water temperatures were frigid at the time – around 39 degrees – according to a statement issued by the Coast Guard.

A U.S. Coast Guard crew transfers one of four people rescued after their 14-foot skiff capsized in Deep Cove near Eastport on Tuesday. U.S. Coast Guard courtesy photo

The Coast Guard said a citizen notified 911 around 2 p.m. that a skiff carrying five people had capsized about 200 feet offshore.

A 29-foot rescue boat was launched from the Coast Guard station in Eastport. A 45-foot Coast Guard boat from Eastport that was already in the water doing a training exercise was diverted to the site.

When the Coast Guard vessels arrived, they found one man on top of the overturned skiff, with two men and one woman holding onto it. The fifth passenger had swum to shore.

All four boaters were taken aboard the Coast Guard boats and transported to shore, where they were met by Downeast Emergency Medical Services. Their names and medical conditions were not available.

“The people we rescued today are fortunate that a person observed them capsizing and called for help,” Petty Officer 1st Class Nathan Holt said in a statement. “Because we already had one boat crew training nearby, our response time was significantly decreased.”

Holt said that none of the people in the water were wearing life jackets or dry suits. Holt recommended that mariners wear weather-appropriate protective gear when boating in cold weather because hypothermia can set in in just a few minutes.

Dennis Hoey can be contacted at 791-6365 or at:

dhoey@pressherald.com