Extreme weather conditions and a broken mast signaled a treacherous situation for a mariner on a sailboat stranded off the coast of Orient last night as the vessel took on water, police said.
According to Southold Town Police, a call came in at approximately 7:55 p.m. about a sailboat in distress, with a broken mast, in the Long Island Sound north of Plum Island.
Due do the weather, the incident was turned over to the United States Coast Guard, who, along with the Plum Island vessel JJ Callis, assisted the mariner, police said.
According to a release from the Coast Guard, a Station New London rescue boat crew came to the aid of the mariner, who was stranded approximately three miles north of Orient.
Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Long Island Sound command center were first notified by Southold police about the distress call involving the 50-foot sailing vessel, with one person aboard, the release said.
The vessel was taking on water, officials said.
The Coast Guard was able to contact the person onboard the sailboat via cellphone and then determined an approximate position in the Sound. The “distressed” mariner said he was unable to communicate via radio because the vessel’s antenna was under water, the Coast Guard said.
Next, an urgent marine information broadcast was issued, asking boaters to keep a “sharp lookout” for the vessel in distress; in addition, SLIS also launched a Station New London 45-foot rescue boat crew, and asked for assistance from the Coast Guard Cutter Sitkinak.
The mariner then said his vessel was no longer taking on water, the Coast Guard said.
A Good Samaritan vessel arrived first and helped both to communicate and direct search and rescue units to the scene, the Coast Guard said.
Once they’d located the mariner, the rescue boat crew evaluated the sailing vessel’s condition and approached on the port side. At approximately 11 p.m., the distressed mariner was safely transferred aboard the rescue boat. The sailboat remained adrift with navigation lights energized.
Cutter Sitkinak was released and returned to base.
Sector Long Island Sound then issued an alert, asking boaters to keep a lookout for the drifting sailing vessel.
The owner of the vessel contacted a commercial salvage company.
No injuries were reported, officials said.
Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story stated that the mariner was rescued at 4 a.m., as stated on the original press release, which was amended.
