The Coast Guard made a dramatic save, rescuing three boaters found stranded on Naushon Island, part of the Elizabeth Islands northwest of Martha’s Vineyard, Wednesday morning.
Officials said the three boaters are a husband, wife, and their adult son in his 30s. The Coast Guard said the family reported they abandoned ship and jumped into the icy Atlantic Ocean Monday night after their 33-foot Chris-Craft went up in flames.
It said the three managed to swim to Naushon Island, where they found a barn for shelter, but had no communication and no food for more than 30 hours.
While walking along the beach, the son located the vessel’s marine radio which had washed ashore, and he was able to make a MAYDAY call.
The Coast Guard said the boat left the Eel River in Falmouth on Friday, and by Tuesday, a worried relative alerted authorities the three on board hadn’t been heard from and were overdue.
“Apparently the Coast Guard got a call for a boat overdue. They went looking for it. They didn’t find anything overnight and then the next morning they got a call about these people on the island,” said Hyannis Deputy Fire Chief Jeff Lamothe.
Coast Guard Station Woods Hole and Coast Guard Cutter Razorbill, Falmouth Police Department, Falmouth Harbormaster and volunteers from Naushon Trust searched Tuesday night into Wednesday morning for the vessel. Calls to the crew of the vessel went straight to voicemail and cell phone pings did not give an accurate location, according the the Coast Guard.
Volunteers who made it to the island and found the family quickly and administered first aid.
All three family members were air lifted to Cape Cod Hospital in Hyannis, with one in critical condition.
The rescue has officials reminding everyone out on the water to take extra precaution this time of year.
“You never know when you get down to the water, make sure you have all your life-saving equipment and you’re dressed for the weather,” said Lamothe.
Officials said an electrical issue may have caused the boat to catch fire, but they are still investigating.
