Monday, May 18, 2015

HAMPTON BAYS FISHING BOAT ELIZABETH J SINKS AFTER OFFSHORE COLLISION WITH A PERSONAL WATER CRAFT NINA MARIE




MAY 18, 2015
HAMPTON BAYS, NEW YORK
A fishing boat out of Hampton Bays sunk after colliding with another boat Sunday morning in the Atlantic Ocean.

The Elizabeth J hit a personal water craft, the Nina Marie, at about 10:50 a.m. roughly 17 nautical miles from the Shinnecock Inlet.


One of the crew members was ejected into the 56-degree water. He was rescued by the two people in the Nina Marie, but that boat quickly began taking on water so all three transferred to the Elizabeth J, according to Coast Guard spokesman Lieutenant Junior-grade Martin Betts.


The Elizabeth J also was taking on water, so the three crew members and the two passengers from the Nina Marie contacted the Coast Guard and deployed the emergency raft.


Two rescue boats were dispatched from the Coast Guard Station Shinnecock shortly before 11 a.m. along with two rescue helicopters from the Coast Guard's Cape Cod, Massachusetts station. They were in the area of the accident by about noon, Lt. Betts said.


After getting the call, the Coast Guard contacted another fishing vessel in the area and that ship, Adventuruous, picked up all five people at 12:20 p.m. then rendezvoused with the Coast Guard boats, which transported the five people back to shore.


The Elizabeth J sank but Sea-Tow attempted to fix the leak on the Nina Marie and tow it back to shore, Lt. Betts said. As of 10 p.m., it was not clear how successful that effort was.