NC crew rescues man after his yacht catches fire off Virginia coast
NORFOLK, Virginia (WNCN) — A North Carolina-based rescue helicopter rescued a man after he had to abandon his sailboat that caught on fire Thursday night in the Atlantic Ocean off the Virginia coast, officials said.
The incident was reported around 8:30 p.m. about 60 miles east of Chincoteague, Virginia, according to a news release from the U.S. Coast Guard.
The 58-year-old man had been aboard the 45-foot sailboat named the Trilogy, sailing from the Bahamas to New Jersey when the incident happened, the Coast Guard said.
An HC-130 Hercules airplane crew and an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew were sent from Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City to rescue the man.
The HC-130 Hercules crew arrived on the scene at 10:10 p.m. and spotted a dinghy with a person aboard.
The dinghy was near the Trilogy, which was on fire.
The MH-60 Jayhawk arrived at the scene at 10:50 p.m. and safely hoisted the victim aboard.
The man had no reported major injuries. He was flown to Norfolk Sentara Hospital in Virginia for further medical evaluation.
The Coast Guard said the man took steps that helped him survive the fire and while he was in the dingy.
Officials said they were alerted to the fire and emergency by a 406-megahertz Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon.
“He … had an emersion suit, which he had put on prior to getting in the dinghy. This mariner also had filed a float plan with a family member, which the Coast Guard always recommends you do even for short day trips,” the Coast Guard said.
“All these actions and planning for a maritime emergency helped save his life.”
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