Crime & Safety
Coast Guard Helicopter Rescues 4 from Sinking Lobster Boat Off R.I. Coast
The crew about the Sakonnet Lobster made a distress call after the boat took on water.
A Coast Guard helicopter rescued four people from a sinking boat off the coast of Rhode Island Thursday morning.
At about 4:15 a.m., the Coast Guard received a distress signal from the 60-foot Sakonnet Lobster after the boat took on water. The crew put on survival suits and abandoned ship.
A Jayhawk helicopter was dispatched and rescuers plucked the crew members to safety. None of them were hurt.
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“They are very lucky,” said Coast Guard Lt. Matt Vanderslice in a statement. “They had all the right gear onboard, it worked, and they knew how to use it. That’s why they’re safely back on land today.”
The rescue happened about 40 miles south of Block Island. The boat sank, the Coast Guard said.
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Photo credit: Coast Guard
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