Coast Guard Rescues Four Off North Carolina Coast

Preparedness and gear were part of what saved the day during a Coast Guard rescue of four sailors off the North Carolina Coast.

A Coast Guard officer cited four sailors’ preparedness and correct equipment as key factors in their rescue after their luxury catamaran overturned off the North Carolina coast.

He said the EPIRB, a proper radio, and a functional life raft were all major factors in the success of the rescue.

“These sailors had the right gear on board, it worked, they knew how to use it, and it’s because of that we were able to find them and bring them home safely,” Petty Officer First Class Austin Lang said of the four Canadians’ EPIRB, proper radio and functional life raft. “The ocean is unpredictable and unforgiving, and this case represents perfectly the value of being prepared at sea,”

The Coast Guard rescued the mariners Saturday after their 60-foot catamaran overturned, about 140 miles southeast of Wilmington. The vessel, the Moon Dragon, charters between the Mid-Atlantic United States and the Virgin Islands.

After receiving an EPIRB signal shortly after noon, the Coast Guard flew a crew from its nearby air station to the scene. Once there, the crew saw the overturned vessel and a covered life raft. The sailors in the raft radioed to the crew to request assistance.  A Coast Guard helicopter crew then hoisted the four sailors aboard. No injuries were reported.

According to the Coast Guard, the crew said both their port and starboard hatches broke at sea, leading to catastrophic flooding.

The catamaran crew indicated that while at sea, both their port and starboard side hatches broke leading to catastrophic flooding which forced them to abandon ship around noon. Winds of 35 miles per hour and seas at 11 to 12 feet were reported.

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Tagged catamaran, coast guard, EPIRB, North Carolina