Emergency responders undertook a daring rescue after a fishing boat – the Carolina Queen III, a 76-foot fishing boat – ran aground, off New York City, early Thursday morning.
The boat, which made a distress call around 2 a.m., was carrying seven men. The crew of the boat had just managed to resolve an issue of taking on water when the fishing vessel ran aground.
An orange Coast Guard helicopter found the ship being battered by ice cold waves – the temperature of the water was 37 degrees, according to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration – over 10 feet tall, causing the boat to violently shift. The seven men on the boat were lowered ropes as the helicopter hovered overhead and rescued them from the ship.
“Between the conditions and mechanical issues, they wound up losing power and ended up being pushed up onto the shore,” FDNY Chief George Healy said.
It wasn’t just the fishing crew who found themselves in hot water – or cold water in this case. While heading towards the trapped fishing crew, a Coast Guard rescue vessel hit a sandbar, causing it to capsize and throw all five members into the water. Despite rough seas, the crew swam safely to shore.
Image: ABC7NY
