The two people that were rescued by a Coast Guard helicopter late Sunday evening near Brandt Island, sustained no injuries and refused medical treatment, according to Fairhaven Harbormaster David Darmofal.
Darmofal said he received a call around 7:00 pm Sunday evening of a possible sinking of a 20-foot boat carrying two people near West Island. Shortly after the call, he launched their boat into the water and met up with the Coast Guard near the area. New Bedford also dispatched a boat to aid with the search.
Mattapoisett Harbormaster Horace Field said the boats were not in the water yet, otherwise they would have also responded.
Because of the rough weather conditions, a Coast Guard helicopter was also dispatched to locate the distressed boat. Around 9:30 pm, the helicopter spotted the boat overturned in the water near West Island. The two passengers were sitting on top of the sinking boat.
‘The best thing there people did was stay with their vessel,” said Darmofal. “If they had attempted to swim, they wouldn’t have made it.”
The two people, whose names were not released by either harbormaster, were air-lifted by the Coast Guard helicopter and brought to the Cape Cod Coast Guard Station.
Field, who saw the signal flares launched by the boat from his house in Mattapoisett, wonders what they were doing out in the water that late at night.
“They shouldn’t have been out there period,” said Field. “Sometimes fishermen will go out in any type of weather in little inadequate boats.”
While there is no confirmation that this boat and its passengers were fishing, Darmofal says there are certain safety precautions everyone in a boat should be taking.
“Please boat safely,” said Darmofal. “Make sure you have the proper equipment, flares and personal floatation devices at all times.”
By Katy Fitzpatrick