Two Rescued from Sinking Fishing Vessel

Crewmembers from U.S.  Coast Guard Station New London rescued two people after they abandoned their sinking fishing vessel near Fishers Island, N.Y., Sunday morning.

At approximately 7:30 a.m., watchstanders at Sector Long Island Sound received a radio call from the crew of a 55-foot commercial fishing vessel stating their boat was taking on water in one of their fish holds.

The command center issued an urgent marine information broadcast and launched a Coast Guard Station Montauk and Station New London rescue boatcrew.

The two people donned survival suits and the fishing vessel maintained a northwesterly course towards the Fishers Island area due to the 8- to 10-foot seas.

At approximately 8:20 a.m., the rescue crew from Montauk arrived on scene. They escorted the vessel and at 9:15 a.m., the Station New London crew aboard a 45-foot Response Boat-Medium rendezvoused with the fishing vessel. The Montauk crew returned to base.

The New London crew passed over a dewatering pump to the crewmembers aboard the distressed vessel. The pump was unable to keep up with the rate of flooding and at 9:30 a.m., the two crewmembers abandoned ship and were quickly picked up by the rescue crew. The boat capsized within one minute of the crew evacuating the vessel.

The two rescued fishermen were taken back to Station New London with no medical concerns.

The fishing vessel was homeported in Hampton Bays, New York, and sank in about 60-feet of water.