Two brothers rescued after boat capsizes off Barnegat Light Monday
US Coast Guard crew members rescue a man from the ocean off Barnegat Light after the boat he was on capsized Monday morning. (Screenshot from Coast Guard video)
Two brothers were rescued by a US Coast Guard crew and a Good Samaritan after their 31-foot boat capsized off Barnegat Light Monday morning.
Shortly before 8:00 a.m., the captain of the sinking boat called for help on emergency radio while about eight miles offshore, according to a Coast Guard release.
From its station in Barnegat Light, the Coast Guard deployed two 47-foot motor lifeboats, while a helicopter responded from Air Station Atlantic City, the release states.
Meanwhile, a Good Samaritan aboard a nearby boat, Jamaica II out of Brielle, radioed to the Coast Guard station that there were two people in the water, holding onto “life rings.”
A person aboard Jamaica II subsequently rescued one victim, while a Coast Guard crew on one of the motor lifeboats rescued the second victim, according to the release.
“Having and knowing how to properly use a radio saved their lives,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Andrew Groth, a Station Barnegat Light crewmember. “Had they not been able to send out their position, their lack of life jackets could have been devastating. Always wear a life jacket, and have life rings readily available for worst case scenarios.”
The captain of the capsized boat said that his boat was hit by numerous waves, filling with so much water that the bilge pump could not handle the volume.
The victims were uninjured.
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