The U.S. Coast Guard reported Tuesday that two men and a companion dog were rescued from a sailboat more than 200 miles off the coast of Delaware that was without gasoline or power and 10 days after friends and family had last heard from them, as reported by CBS News.
Search initiated
Joe Ditomasso, 76, and Kevin Hyde, 65, were travelling from Cape May, New Jersey, to Marathon, Florida, by boat. However, they vanished when their Atrevida II yacht departed the Outer Banks of North Carolina on December 3.
After receiving word on Sunday that the two sailors were running late, the Coast Guard initiated a search that would cover Florida and New Jersey, according to the agency. Along with commercial and recreational vessels, ships from the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard planes took part in the search.
The crew of the Silver Muna tanker ship was off the coast of Delaware on Tuesday when Hyde and Ditomasso waved their arms to get their attention.
According to the Coast Guard, the sailboat’s radios and navigational instruments were not functional due to a lack of fuel or power.
News conference
Hyde commended the “diligence” of the Silver Muna team during a news conference on Wednesday in New York.
Hyde remarked, “And they discovered us, and they knew we were on board, and we were waving and stuff like that.” “My masts were already down at that point, so all systems were silent. We were merely kind of relaxing in the boat. He turned around and picked us up after backing up and saw us. It was incredible. In this case, it’s like trying to find a needle in a haystack.”
The two were forced to rely on extracting water from beans they had on board for the final two days before being rescued, according to Ditomasso.
Ditomasso informed the media, “And I purchased these beans.” “The best thing about the beans is that they contain water. They had water on them. And we were sipping little by little.”
Soon around 4 o’clock, the guys and the dog were loaded onto the tanker. The ship’s medical team’s assessment turned up no urgent issues, according to the Coast Guard.
Reuniting them
The Coast Guard further assessed the two guys once they got to New York Harbor before reuniting them with their loved ones.
A Coast Guard spokesman, Daniel Schrader, said in a statement that “this is a wonderful example of the maritime community’s collaborative efforts to preserve the safety of life at sea.”
Additionally, Cmdr. Schrader emphasised the significance of sailors travelling with an “EPIRB,” or Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon. In an emergency, it enables those on a boat to speak with first responders right away.
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Source: CBS News
