Coast Guard Rescues 3 People After Boat Sinks Offshore Maine

The U.S. Coast Guard on Wednesday rescued three boaters who were forced to abandon ship off the coast of Maine without any life raft or floatation devices.

The Coast Guard said watchstanders at Sector Northern New England received a mayday call at around 7:03 a.m. Wednesday from the crew of the 40-foot ridge liner vessel, Vesta Renee, reporting the boat was taking on water. The crew told the Coast Guard they intended to abandon ship, approximately 23 miles south of Boothbay Harbor.

The crew was asked to activate their Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon to assist rescuers in locating them.

A 47-foot motor lifeboat crew from Station Boothbay Harbor and an HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircrew and MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter aircrew from Air Station Cape Cod were launched at 7:13 a.m. Crews located the sinking Vesta Renee at approximately 9:01 a.m.

“Within one minute of arriving on scene,” all three mariners were pulled out of the water, the Coast Guard said. One mariner reported “minor hypothermia,” and the other two were uninjured.

“Our crews are constantly training for situations like this so they can respond as quickly as possible when lives are at risk,” Lt. Jeanpierre Freeman said in a statement. “Because of that preparation and the crew’s fast response, all three fishermen were recovered from the water within minutes of arriving on scene.”