U.S. Coast Guard, good samaritan save angler from sunken boat
The U.S. Coast Guard, with the help of a good samaritan, rescued an angler 20 miles southwest of Kitty Hawk on Monday, Jan. 18, 2020. The angler’s boat sank in 46-degree water, and luckily, he was able to remain on the bow of the sunken boat as help arrived.
The unnamed angler apparently was able to call his father-in-law with his cell phone as he donned his life jacket. His father-in-law then called the Coast Guard, and they dispatched an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter from Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, along with a 29-foot rescue boat.
A private vessel was nearby and received a request for help from the Coast Guard. The good samaritan headed that way, and that vessel’s crew got the angler from the sunken boat. They took him to the Alligator River marina, where EMS was waiting. They treated the man, who was uninjured, for hypothermia.
It was a lucky ending to an unlucky start
It was a lucky ending to an otherwise unlucky day for the angler, and Senior Chief Greg Slusher commended the angler for being prepared enough to aid in his own rescue. It’s a good reminder to other anglers fishing this time of year.
“This is one of those situations that could have deteriorated quickly,” said Slusher. “No one leaves the marina expecting their boat to sink. Thankfully, this man equipped himself with a lifejacket and a way to call for help. Being unprepared in water this cold can turn a dangerous situation to a deadly one very quickly.”
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