Lobstermen Rescued After Nine Hours in Raft

Even experienced boaters can have mishaps on the water. All it takes is a dark night, some thick fog and an inconveniently positioned rock or two.

Two Maine lobstermen spent one terrifying night adrift in an inflatable life raft after their fishing vessel hit a ledge in thick fog last month and quickly sank.

The fishermen said that they hit the ledge at around 4:45 a.m. and quickly began taking on water. They got into their life raft but without a radio, were left exposed to the cold wind and pelting rain for nine long hours while boats passed by—tantalizingly close, yet hidden by the dense fog.

The next day, a sailboat was making its way through the nearly impenetrable fog, when its crew heard an unusual sound between the air horn blasts they were using to signal their position to other craft.

Fortunately, the sailboat made no sound other than its air horn, which allowed the stranded lobstermen’s cries for help to be heard. “If we had a motor,” said the sailboat’s captain, “we would not have heard them.”

“They were both in jeans and T-shirts and the sternman was cold and shivering,’ added the captain, “so we put him in a sleeping bag to warm him up.”

It is reassuring to know there are good Samaritans out there on the water when you need them.

Below, maritime attorney Carolyn Latti discusses recreational boat insurance.

Can a Maritime Attorney Help Me After My Accident at Sea?

Luckily, this story had a happy ending. Many times, accidents at sea don’t end nearly as well. If you have had an accident on the water, you may benefit from the experience of a maritime attorney, and at Latti & Anderson, we have over 50 years of experience helping those injured at sea.

Latti & Anderson LLP – Nationwide Maritime Attorneys

Source: http://www.penbaypilot.com/article/lobstermen-spend-nine-hours-raft-pea-soup-fog-rescue-vinalhaven/37612