Occupants Of A Sinking Boat A Long With A Dog Were Rescued In Georgia

A man swims close to shore off of St. Simons Island, Georgia. Two occuapants and a dog were rescued near the shores of St. Simons Island. JOE RAEDLE/VIRALPRESS

A dog that was tied on a leash to a sinking boat was rescued by coast guards in Georgia that also included two occupants as well. The incident happened on the open sea near St. Simons Sound, off the coast of the U.S. state on Monday, May 1. 

A member of the U.S. Coast Guard climbed aboard the sinking boat that Reggie the dog was reportedly tied to while one of the two unnamed people who were on the boat was being lifted to the US Coast Guard helicopter. Reggie’s rescue was caught on camera as the member was able to free him from the leash.

The Golden Ray cargo ship lies on its side in the water under a heavy-lift-twin-gantry catamaran near the St. Simons Island Pier. The occupants of the 28-foot boat, Pisces, were equipped with the  personal locator beacon (PLB) that helped the Search and Rescue teams to locate the sinking boat. PAUL HENNESSY/VIRALPRESS

A statement from the U.S. Coast Guard said, “The Coast Guard rescued two people and a dog, Monday, after their vessel began taking on water near St. Catherine’s Sound, Georgia. A Coast Guard Air Station Savannah MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew arrived at scene and hoisted the two people and dog to safety.”

The statement quoted Petty Officer 2nd Class Tyler Murray, the flight mechanic on the case, as saying, “We were able to locate the survivors’ exact position because of an alert from their personal locator beacon.”

“A PLB transmits personalized distress signals and helps us find you during search and rescue missions. If you own a boat, the Coast Guard highly recommends this safety equipment. It can save your life as we saw firsthand.”

A personal locator beacon is a device that informs Search and Rescue teams that locate people who are out in the outdoors. It is typically recommended for people who own boats and that go hiking out in the wilderness.

The statement added: ‘Coast Guard Sector Charleston watch standers received a distress call on VHF marine radio Channel 16 from the man aboard the 28-foot catamaran, Picses, at 5:32 p.m. stating their position and boat name.”

The survivors were transported to Hunter Army Airfield where local EMS was waiting.

Another statement from the U.S. Coast Guard South-East, also on Tuesday, said that one of their teams out of Savannah rescued two people and a dog after their 28-foot catamaran began taking on water Monday and eventually sank near the entrance of St. Simons Sound, Georgia. 

“The two people and Reggie are in good spirits,” said one official in the condition of those who were rescued. It is currently unclear what caused the boat to sink. 

 

Produced in association with ViralPress