Dramatic Rescues at Sea

There were some dramatic rescues on the water and boating incidents around the world over the weekend. Following are a few that caught our attention.

Meet us in Boston this weekend for the return of Boston’s Fall Boat Show, October 1 – 3, at the Seaport World Trade Center. Coupons for discounted tickets are available at bostonfallboatshow.com.

Seattle Water Taxi Crash
In Seattle, the Rachel Marie, a ferry carrying 73 people, crashed into the town dock sending seven passengers to the hospital. Lots of photos, video and eyewitness testimony on the West Seattle Blog.

Photo: WA Surf Lifesaving

EPIRB Saves Five
Five men who had been fishing over the weekend were found alive in the Indian Ocean by rescuers several hours after their catamaran sank in high seas. According to ABC.net.au, an EPIRB saved their life.

Police Chief Plays Aquaman
Block Island Police Chief Vincent Carlone is being recognized as a hero after saving the lives of two fishermen who were struggling to hold on to the bow of their overturned 34-foot boat in heavy swells on Sunday. The fishermen and their sunken boat, the “Free Spirit”, were relatively close to shore, but huge waves and jagged rocks prevented rescuers from reaching them. The Block Island Times reports that rescue personnel determined that the best course of action would be for the police chief to put on snorkeling gear and swim to the fishermen, prompting one of those rescued to say it was like being saved by Aquaman. The two men, one of whom had served in the Coast Guard, were not wearing life jackets.

Boating Safety
Have any of these stories reminded you about the importance of wearing a life jacket? Now would be a good time to visit our boating safety page on FirstBoat.com.

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