Four fishermen have been rescued from a broken boat in freezing waters off North Carolina’s Outer Banks, officials said.
U.S. Coast Guard Sector Watchmen in North Carolina received a call at approximately 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 7 from the captain of the fishing vessel, named Bald Eagle II, who stated the boat was disabled and was drifting towards the shoreaccording to a press release from the US Coast Guard District 5.
Helicopter and lifeboat crews responded to the vessel, which was off Duck.
Crews airlifted the men off the boat and took them to the air station, the Coast Guard said. They weren’t hurt.
Petty Officer 1st Class Timothy Hall said in the statement that the water temperature was 56 degrees and it could have been “dangerous had these four men not been prepared”.
“Fortunately, these men were wearing survival suits to prevent hypothermia when our rescue helicopter arrived,” Hall said, according to the news release.
No further information on the rescue had been released as of Wednesday, December 8.
Duck is located in Dare County, approximately 213 miles east of Raleigh.
This story was originally published December 8, 2021 10:08 a.m.
