Fifth District
U.S. Coast Guard

Date: August 5, 2008
Contact: Petty Officer 2nd Class Nathan Henise
(757) 398-6269

Coast Guard station responds to vessel in distress

PORTSMOUTH, Va. - The Coast Guard responded to a fishing vessel in distress of the coast of North Carolina today.

The master of the 72-foot fishing vessel Capt. Alfred notified the Coast Guard at approximately 6:45 a.m. this morning, and reported that the vessel was taking on water East of Jones Bay in the Pamlico Sound. There were four people on board.

A 25-foot response boat from Coast Guard Station Hobucken, N.C., arrived on scene and assisted the vessel in dewatering their flooded engine room and patching up the cause of the leak. A 41-foot rescue boat from the station and a rescue helicopter from Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, N.C., also responded to the distressed vessel. 

All passengers have been transferred to the fishing vessel Gentle Breeze which is currently towing the Capt. Alfred to Lowland, N.C.

"The Captain of the vessel handled the situation very well," said Senior Chief Petty Officer Jeremy McConnell, officer in charge of Station Hobucken. "Our inter-agency response with the Marine Corps helicopter helped tremendously in our crew being able to assist the vessel safely."