NEW YORK — The Coast Guard rescued three people Sunday after their boat sank off the coast of Long Island.
At approximately 4:15 p.m., Suffolk County dispatch notified Coast Guard Sector Long Island Sound watchstanders and relayed text messages received, indicating a boat was taking on water near the SS Iberia shipwreck with three people in the water.
Sector Long Island watchstanders issued an urgent marine information broadcast (UMIB) and launched boat crews from Station Jones Beach and Station Fire Island to respond.
A Coast Guard Station Jones Beach boatcrew arrived on scene and retrieved two divers and the vessel’s master from the water. The vessel master reported that the boat sank rapidly, but he managed to escape through a bow hatch.
All three people were transported to a local marina, where emergency medical services brought them to Long Beach Memorial Hospital/Long Beach Medical Center. No serious injuries were reported.
“While Station Jones Beach is one of the units impacted by the Coast Guard’s Force Alignment Initiative, the crew swiftly responded to the recent search and rescue case near the SS Iberia shipwreck,” said Cmdr. Nicholas Lajoie, the Sector Long Island Sound response department head. “This response underscores the Coast Guard’s commitment to a layered approach that includes adjacent stations, Coast Guard Air Station helicopters, and partnerships with local and state government agencies, ensuring all mission requirements are met.”
Mariners in distress are urged to use VHF channel 16 or contact Sector Command Centers for assistance.
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