Hartford Courant
(TNS)
Eight people were rescued from a boat that lost power and all control off the shore of East Haven on Tuesday night in treacherous sea conditions.
Emergency crews responded to the area of First Avenue on the report of a boat in distress after a nearby resident noticed a boat flashing its lights about 1,000 feet off the shoreline, according to Matthew Marcarelli, chief of the East Haven Fire Department. The caller said they responded to the boat by flashing their house lights.
Marcarelli said fire officials then received a report from the Coast Guard indicating a boat with nine people on board was taking on water.
Crews were able to make contact with the boat using flashlights, but because of strong winds and a heavy current East Haven fire officials were unable to launch their marine assets, according to Marcarelli.
Marcarelli said Branford Marine 2 and the U.S. Coast Guard’s New Haven station were notified and responded. By this time, according to Marcarelli, the 40-foot Sea Ray was listing to its port side with the transom at the water line.
Six people wearing life jackets were seen on the bow of the boat. In what was described as as “short amount of time,” Marcarelli said the boat had drifted toward the town beach, where crews relocated.
When the boat was within 100 feet of the shore, crews were able to shout to the captain who initially reported that there were nine people on board and that he had lost all power and electricity. The captain confirmed the boat was taking on water and said he had dropped his anchor, which was dragging along the seafloor.
According to Marcarelli, Branford Marine 2 arrived along with Coast Guard and the West Shore Fire Department’s marine unit. None of the vessels were able to make it to the boat because of the rocky coastline.
Sea Tow was requested to the scene but said the conditions made it impossible to respond, Marcarelli said. They reported that they would respond in the morning when there was daylight.
By this time the boat was within 20 feet of the shore and became high centered on the rocks.
Crews wearing cold water immersion suits then began preparing for a water rescue before the boat began to list severely to the port side and was rocking heavily in the waves, according to Marcarelli.
Marcarelli said officials grew concerned that the boat would start to break apart or roll into the surf with people on board.
Crews using tag lines entered the water from shore and made contact with the captain before getting aboard the boat. The passengers were removed one at a time and helped to shore.
Marcarelli said the captain was the last to leave. Once on shore, the captain again confirmed nine people were on the boat, which created confusion after multiple head counts of those who were rescued only came to eight people, according to Marcarelli.
Crews searched the boat and the water and could not locate a ninth person. After speaking to others who were on the boat, officials were able to clarify that only eight people were on board, Marcarelli said.
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