VIDEO: Coast Guard rescues man from jetty in Cape May Wednesday

The U.S. Coast Guard rescued a fisherman from a jetty in Cape May Wednesday after he was tossed out of his boat by another vessel’s wake.

Richard Perrotti was fishing near the jetty in his 21-foot boat when a passing board created a large wake, causing his boat to tilt him into the water, according to a Coast Guard release. Perrotti then swam to a nearby jetty.

A Good Samaritan contacted the Coast Guard over emergency radio, alerting an already underway Coast Guard crew to the distress, the release said.

The 45-foot Response Boat-Medium crew from Coast Guard Station Cape May responded and rescued Perrotti from the jetty.

“Boaters need to be mindful of their wake when transiting near other boaters and property,” said Petty Officer 3rd Class Diego Sanchez. “Boaters can be held responsible for their wakes. Luckily, Richard was wearing his life jacket and was able to swim to the rocks until Coast Guard arrived on scene to pull him to safety.”