Video from the MH-60 Jayhawk crew from Air Station Cape Cod deploying a rescue swimmer and recovering the four fishermen from their life raft about 40 miles off Maine’s coast on Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2016. The fishermen were brought to Bar Harbor airport to awaiting Emergency Medical Services. (U.S. Coast Guard video)
The Coast Guard rescued four fishermen Wednesday morning after the fishing vessel Lydia & Maya started taking on water about 40 miles south of Southwest Harbor, Maine.
At about midnight, Coast Guard Sector Northern New England watchstanders received a broken transmission from a crew member aboard the 71-foot vessel saying they were taking on water. Shortly after, an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon alert was sounded, notifying watchstanders the crew was in the water.
Coast Guard Station Southwest Harbor launched a 47-foot boat crew, and Air Station Cape Cod launched a MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew.
Using the EPIRB distress signal to locate the fishermen, the helicopter crew arrived on scene at about 2 a.m. to find four people in a life raft shooting off flares and using a signal light. The rescue swimmer was deployed, and all four fishermen were airlifted into the helicopter.
The crew was suffering mild hypothermic conditions. They were taken to Bar Harbor airport to awaiting Emergency Medical Services.
“The weather conditions were not ideal for searching,” said Chief Petty Officer Aaron Clendaniel, the command duty officer in Sector Northern New England’s command center. “The Lydia & Maya crew did a great job making sure their safety supplies were in good working condition, and that is what allowed us to find them so quickly.”
The condition of the fishing vessel is still under investigation.
