Coast Guard rescues sick man from boat that ran aground near Barnegat Inlet
United States Coast Guard photo.
The U.S. Coast Guard rescued a 67-year-old sick man this morning from a recreational boat in the Barnegat Bay.
The man was aboard “Kelly Ann,” a 34-foot vessel, which ran aground in the Oyster Creek Channel, according to a Coast Guard release.
The Oyster Creek Channel is one of four Barnegat Bay channels that lead to the Barnegat Inlet. All suffered from shoaling after Hurricane Sandy.
A crew member on the vessel made a distress call as the man was experiencing heart attack-like symptoms.
Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay subsequently dispatched a 29-foot response boat-small crew from Coast Guard Station Barnegat Light, which transported the man to shore.
He was then transferred to emergency medical service personnel.
“Helping people when they need it most is why we are here,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Mikail Ubieta, the responding coxswain. “Having a VHF radio on board allowed the boaters to directly contact us so we could transport him to proper medical care.”
The Coast Guard says salvage is pending and that the boat does not pose a navigation hazard.
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