51-year-old Man Aboard Raft Is Rescued By Coast Guard

Photo/U.S. Coast Guard

PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The Coast Guard rescued a 51-year-old man aboard a life raft Tuesday after the man abandoned his 28-foot sailboat, Dove, 20 miles south of Atlantic Beach, N.C.

Rescued was Jay White of Gloucester.

White contacted Coast Guard Sector North Carolina Command Center watch standers at approximately 7:15 a.m. via a mayday call on a VHF-FM marine radio stating that his boat was taking on water.

Sector North Carolina watchstanders issued an urgent marine information broadcast and dispatched crews aboard a 47-foot Motor Life Boat from Coast Guard Station Fort Macon, N.C., a 45-foot Response Boat - Medium from Coast Guard Station Emerald Isle, N.C., and diverted the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Staten Island, a 110-foot patrol boat homeported in Atlantic Beach, to assist.

The MLB crew from Fort Macon arrived on scene and found White aboard a life raft after he had abandoned his sailboat, the Dove.

The crew rescued White and recovered the life raft at approximately 8:15 a.m. before returning to Station Fort Macon.

"The rescue was successful," said Petty Officer 3rd Class Kevin Hallenbeck, the coxswain of the MLB.  "It was a great case to show that with everyone working in sync, the Coast Guard mission can be accomplished successfully."

The Navy ships USS Kearsarge and USS San Antonio also responded to the UMIB but stood down from rescue operations once the man was rescued.

There are no reports of injuries.

U.S. Coast Guard