Coast Guard Simultaneously Assists Two Sinking Vessels in Oregon Inlet

December 16, 2003

Oregon Inlet, N.C. ÃƒÆ’Ã†â€™Ãƒâ€šÃ‚Â¢ÃƒÆ’Ã‚Â¢ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…Â¡Ãƒâ€šÃ‚Â¬ÃƒÆ’Ã‚Â¢ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚Â¬Ãƒâ€¦Ã¢â‚¬Å“ The U.S. Coast Guard assisted two sinking vessels this morning in Oregon Inlet.

Mr. Lee Williams, captain of the 80-foot trawler BOSS LADY, was enroute to Swan Quarter with his crew, Roland Coval and Michael Barrow, when the BOSS LADY began taking on water from her bow. Captain Williams made a distress call to the Coast Guard and then ran the port bow of the BOSS LADY aground off of Oregon Inlet Channel while his crew tried to dewater the vessel. Station Oregon Inlet immediately launched a 47-foot and a 21-foot rescue boats and issued an Urgent Marine Information Broadcast to ask any mariners in the area to assist. The crews of the rescue boats arrived within 24 minutes and aided the dewatering of the vessel with two P-6 gasoline powered pumps. After dewatering the BOSS LADY, the Coast Guard attempted to escort her to Wanchese for repairs. On the way, the hole in the bow increased in size and the BOSS LADY began flooding uncontrollably. Captain Williams again beached the BOSS LADY and the Coast Guard removed the 3 people on board for their own safety. Captain Williams will return tomorrow to salvage the vessel and will be observed by the Coast Guard Marine Safety Team of Elizabeth City, NC that is concerned with the 1500 gallons of diesel onboard.

While assisting the BOSS LADY, Coast Guard Station Oregon Inlet received a second distress call at 10:09 AM from the 32 foot Sport Fisher BLOOD VESSEL. The BLOOD VESSEL ran aground off of Walter Slough Channel and began taking on water. The 21-foot rescue boat diverted from assisting the BOSS LADY and arrived on scene with the BLOOD VESSEL in less than five minutes. Station Oregon Inlet launched a second 47-foot rescue boat to assist. The Coast Guard crews dewatered the vessel and patched the source, a damaged shaft seal. The Coast Guard then turned over the salvage of the BLOOD VESSEL to a commercial provider.

No injuries or medical concerns occurred among any of the crewmembers assisted today.

The Coast Guard urges all boaters to always have a correctly operating VHF Marine Radio, life jackets and all other Coast Guard required safety equipment onboard to ensure safety while on the water. The crews of the BOSS LADY and BLOOD VESSEL were assisted today because they were able to contact the Coast Guard on VHF-FM Ch. 16.

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