April 17, 2017 — Two men and a dog aboard a fishing boat were rescued Saturday night after it began rapidly taking on water about three miles off Hampton Harbor, the Coast Guard said.
The Coast Guard and Hampton Fire Rescue helped those on board the Patricia Lynn II to shore safely.
Both men had put on survival suits and also put a lifejacket on the dog, according to the Coast Guard.
“These two men were smart to don their survival suits as soon as they realized their boat was taking on water,” said Kenneth Stuart, the command duty officer at Sector Northern New England of the Coast Guard. “With the water temperatures still dangerously cold, having the proper gear for themselves and even their dog allowed them to actively work to de-water their boat until help arrived. If they had ended up in the water — their chances of survival were much higher.”
No injuries were reported.
One of the men aboard used a VHF radio about 8:30 p.m. to report the boat was rapidly taking on water despite efforts to keep up using buckets and a bilge pump.
Station Portsmouth Harbor, Station Merrimack River, a helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod and Hampton Fire Rescue responders all launched to help.