Responding agencies included Maryland Natural Resources Police, Maryland State Police, Dorchester County EMS and Naval Air Station Patuxent River.
Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Maryland-National Capital Region received a digital selective calling alert of distress with the boats Maritime Mobile Service Identity number from a boater aboard a 40-foot boat. The DSC notification was followed by a distress call over VHF-FM marine channel 16 stating, “Mayday, mayday, mayday. This is the motor vessel Karen N. We have sunk off of Bloodsworth Island.” Communications were lost soon after.
Sector Maryland-National Capital Region issued an urgent marine information broadcast and launched boat crews from Coast Guard Station Crisfield, while SYSCOM Helicopter Communications notified Maryland State Police and launched two helicopter crews.
A good Samaritan arrived on scene, brought the 22 boaters aboard, transported them to Wingate and transferred them to awaiting EMS personnel.
“As soon as we received the DSC alert we knew their exact position,” said Lt j.g. Issac Yates, a command duty officer at the Sector Maryland-National Capital Region command center.
“When the owner of a vessel connects their radio to a GPS, the signal sent after pressing the DSC alert button will include the GPS position,” said Yates. “If they’ve gone to the [maritime mobile service identity] website and registered their vessel with the appropriate vessel owner information, the DSC alert will also send the MMSI code number with the signal and we can look up the owner’s information while also knowing the exact position of when the alert was pressed.”
EMS determined one person was in need of an airlift to Peninsula Regional Medical Center.
Other injured personnel were transported to Peninsula Regional Medical Center via ambulance.
“All 22 persons in the water were wearing their life preservers,” said Yates. “That greatly enhanced their survivability.”
8 comments:
Boat owned by "Chesapeake Bay Foundation"
This area is restricted because of suspected bombs and shells from target practice . Don't know why this vessel was in the area.
If the boat is owned by this foundation , then why were they in the area ? Save the bay and the idiots within.
Twenty two people on a 40 foot boat? Lack of good sense!
That boat the Karen N has taken that trip 100's of times if not a 1000 times so that area is not restricted 8:02. The boat is owned by the CBF and it is part of an educational program that takes students out on the bay.
This will be hushed up quick. Imagine if this was a conservative group that owned this boat. It would get national news coverage, think of the environmental disaster!!!! EGADS!!! 20 quarts of oil in the bay!!!! The danger to the children!!!! Seriously, but because these were the criminal jackwagons at the cbf you won't hear a word.
Wonderful outcome to a potentially tragic situation. Good work by all and God Bless the crew of the Chesapeake work boat who came to the rescue.
Coast Guard has confirmed the boat was in a prohibited area. What were these people thinking?
Isn't that a lot of people on a 40ft boat?
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