Coast Guard Rescues Three Fishermen After Vessel Sinks Near Boothbay Harbor

Three fishermen were pulled from the water 23 miles south of Boothbay Harbor on the morning of March 11 after their 40-foot commercial fishing vessel, the Vesta Renee, took on water and sank. One crewmember was treated for minor hypothermia; the other two reported no injuries. Their names were not released.

The crew transmitted a mayday at 7:03 a.m. via VHF Channel 16 to Coast Guard Sector Northern New England, reporting the vessel was taking on water and that they intended to abandon ship. Ten minutes later, at 7:13 a.m., Sector Northern New England launched a 47-foot motor lifeboat from Station Boothbay Harbor and scrambled an HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircrew and an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter aircrew from Air Station Cape Cod. The Coast Guard also requested that the fishermen activate their Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon to help rescuers pinpoint their location.

The situation was made more dangerous by what the crew did not have on board. According to the Coast Guard, the fishermen had neither a life raft nor personal flotation devices when they entered the water.

Nearly two hours after the mayday, the Boothbay Harbor crew located the sinking vessel at 9:01 a.m. and pulled all three men from the water within one minute of arriving on scene.

"Our crews are constantly training for situations like this so they can respond as quickly as possible when lives are at risk," Lt. Jeanpierre Freeman said in a statement. "Because of that preparation and the crew's fast response, all three fishermen were recovered from the water within minutes of arriving on scene."

No cause for the vessel taking on water was released. The Coast Guard said no further details about the circumstances of the sinking were made available.