3 Boaters Airlifted To Safety After Vessels Take On Water

SHADY SIDE, MD — Three people were rescued by a Maryland State Police helicopter crew after two boats began taking on water offshore near Shady Side Saturday night. Shortly after 9:30 p.m., the Anne Arundel County Emergency Operations Center received a distress call from a boater. The caller said three passengers were stranded on a marshy shoreline. The Anne Arundel County Fire Department requested help from the Maryland State Police Aviation Command to locate the boaters.

Trooper 2, the command’s helicopter stationed at Joint Base Andrews in Prince George’s County, was dispatched and found the three boaters in a marshy area near the shore, just east of Deep Creek. The aircrew was able to direct Anne Arundel County Fire Department boats to the location, but the shallow water prevented rescuers from getting any closer. As a result, fire officials asked Trooper 2 to perform an aerial rescue.

The helicopter crew used a hoist system and rescue basket aboard the AW-139 aircraft to lift all three passengers from the marsh to the aircraft. They were taken to Deale Elementary School, where they were transferred to Anne Arundel County Fire Department personnel for evaluation.

The Maryland State Police Aviation Command operates a fleet of ten AW-139 helicopters from seven bases throughout Maryland. Each aircraft provides coverage at any time to residents and visitors. The MSPAC missions include medevac, law enforcement, search and rescue, homeland security, and disaster assessment. The success of the missions relies heavily on the cooperative efforts of local fire, rescue, EMS, law enforcement agencies, along with the United States Coast Guard and the United States Park Police, the agency said.