A dramatic nighttime rescue unfolded Thursday night when the Coast Guard saved four crew members from a sinking fishing vessel following a collision about 10 miles south of Block Island, Rhode Island.
The Coast Guard received a distress call at 8:30 p.m. via VHF-FM channel 16 reporting the crash between two fishing boats, the 87-foot scalloper Vanquish and the 55-foot trawler Mattie and Maren II.
While the Vanquish reported no damage or injuries among its six-person crew, the Mattie and Maren II faced a dire situation. Flooding in the engine room left the vessel crippled as its crew scrambled to don survival suits and prepare emergency gear, including a life raft and EPIRB, in case abandoning ship became necessary.
Coast Guard teams from Montauk and Cape Cod sprang into action, dispatching a 47-foot motor lifeboat and an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter. The lifeboat reached the scene at 9:15 p.m., with rescuers braving four-to-six-foot seas and winds gusting at 23 mph.
A rescue crew member attempted to assist with dewatering efforts aboard the Mattie and Maren II, deploying a P-6 pump. But worsening weather conditions thwarted the effort, forcing the Coast Guard to evacuate all four crew members to safety.
“They were ready for the worst, and that made a big difference,” said Lt. Jonathan Roth of Sector Long Island Sound, praising the Mattie and Maren II crew’s quick thinking and emergency preparedness. “Our teams’ swift actions and professionalism ensured everyone got home safely despite challenging seas.”
The rescued crew members were transported to Station Montauk without injuries, while the Vanquish returned to New Bedford, Massachusetts.
The Mattie and Maren II remains adrift, prompting the Coast Guard to issue a marine safety alert. An investigation into the collision is ongoing.
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