Crime & Safety
Video Shows Dramatic Helicopter Rescue of 4 R.I. Lobstermen As Boat Sinks
The crew about the Sakonnet Lobster made a distress call after the boat took on water.
The Coast Guard on Thursday released a dramatic video of the helicopter rescue of four Rhode Island lobstermen.
The crew of the the 60-foot Sakonnet Lobster sent out a distress signal at about 4:15 a.m. 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.”
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The rescue happened about 40 miles south of Block Island. The boat sank, the Coast Guard said.
Photo credit: Coast Guard
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