AIR STATION CAPE COD – Two Wellfleet fishermen wearing survival suits were rescued last night off Sandwich after spending nearly five hours in the water after their boat sank in Cape Cod Bay, according to the Coast Guard.
The rescued fishermen were identified by the Coast Guard today as Christopher Merl, 39, the owner of the boat, and Matthew Gregory, 18, both of Wellfleet.
Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Connie Terrell said last night that the fishermen were taken to Air Station Cape Cod and arrived at the base around 9:30 p.m. Coast Guard medical personnel evaluated the pair and found them in good condition, she said. “Both of them have declined further medical attention,” she said.
The fishermen, who were aboard the Wellfleet-based fishing boat Carol and Allison, used a cell phone to call Coast Guard Station Provincetown around 3:21 p.m. At the time, the distressed mariners said they were about eight miles east of the entrance to the Cape Cod Canal in the bay, according to a Coast Guard press release.
The crew of a nearby tug boat reported they heard the 36-foot fishing boat issue a mayday call. The cell phone connection between the Carol and Allison and the Coast Guard was lost after the first call, according to a Coast Guard press release.
A Jayhawk helicopter crew based at Air Station Cape Cod spotted the men in the water at about 9:15 p.m., Terrell said. “They were wearing survival suits, which probably bought them some time,” she said.
Terrell said the Carol and Allison sank at about 4:15 p.m.
Weather conditions in Cape Cod Bay were life-threatening for the fishermen and made it difficult for surface vessels to reach them. The Coast Guard reported that winds were as high as 25 knots, with 4- to 6-foot seas and a water temperature of about 52 degrees.
“This is a perfect example of why the Coast Guard recommends everyone wear flotation devices and survival suits when they're on the water,” Terrell said.
“It keeps you a lot warmer a lot longer,” she said of marine survival suits.
The helicopter crew searched the bay for four hours then refueled before continuing their search for the fishermen, said Lt. Commander Doug Atkins, the helicopter's ranking officer. He said the helicopter flew 300 to 400 miles during the rescue effort, searching deep into the bay and scouring the coastline from Plymouth to Orleans,
The rescue helicopter was in the Plymouth area when the Sandwich police reported that they had found debris from a boat off shore.
The helicopter crew spotted the two men with the assistance of night vision goggles, Atkins said.
The men were in their bright, red neoprene survival suits with reflector tape, about 50 yards from Springhill Beach in Sandwich,, the Coast Guard said this morning. They were holding on to each other in six foot waves.
The helicopter hovered about 40 feet above the water and Aviation Survival Technician Derick Ansley was lowered down to the fishermen on a cable. Both men were conscious and speaking when the diving specialist reached them, Ansley said. Each man took his turn being placed into a metal basket, which was then lifted to the helicopter.
The rescue took about fifteen minutes and was completed by about 9 p.m. “The suits definitely saved their lives,” Atkins said.
In addition to the Jayhawk helicopter, she said the Coast Guard dispatched three vessels to search for the men, including a 47-foot rescue boat from Coast Guard Station Provincetown and a 47-foot rescue boat from Coast Guard Station Cape Cod Canal.
Terrell said several Cape-based fishermen also assisted in the search effort. “The fishing community tends to be a tight-knit group,” she said.