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COAST
GUARD ASSISTS BOATERS TAKING ON WATER
Reminds boaters to use their VHF radios
in an emergency
OCEAN
CITY – The Coast Guard assisted two boaters on Friday, July 16, 2004, when
their boat began taking on water approximately 3.5 miles off of Ocean City inlet, Md.
Around 6:20 p.m., the Coast Guard received a cell phone
call from a person on a 25-foot Mako boat saying their boat was taking on water.
Coast Guard Group Eastern Shore, Va. launched a 47-foot
motor lifeboat from Coast Guard Station Ocean City, Md. to assist the distressed boaters.
When the lifeboat arrived, the crewmen passed two dewatering pumps over to the
vessel and were able to dewater it and tow it to West Ocean City Marina, Md.
The boaters did not use their VHF-FM
radio onboard, which made it difficult for the Coast Guard to locate them. The Coast
Guard encourages all boaters in distress to use their radio for help. By using a radio,
other boaters in the area will be able to hear the distress call and provide more
immediate assistance. Using a radio also provides the Coast Guard with a signal that
can be picked up by direction finding equipment. This signal can help the Coast
Guard narrow down the location of distressed boaters and ultimately save lives.
