The U.S. Coast Guard rescued a dog and two people after their boat sank on Monday off the coast of Georgia.
Dog rescued from sinking boat
According to ABC News, a 28-foot catamaran named Pisces set sail near St. Simons Sound, which is located near Brunswick, in southern Georgia.
At some point, the boat began sinking. The people on the boat used a marine radio to call “mayday.” Those who received the distress call “immediately issued an Urgent Marine Information Broadcast,” according to the Coast Guard. The Coast Guard Air Station Savannah and Georgia Department of Natural Resources responded to the situation.
According to a press release from the Coast Guard, “A Coast Guard Air Station Savannah MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew arrived on scene and hoisted the two people and dog to safety.”
A dog, Reggie, was tied by leash to the sinking boat. Images from the rescue showed everyone arriving on land safe and sound, if a little wet.
Reggie and the people aboard the boat were transported to Hunter Army Airfield “in good spirits,” the Coast Guard said. No one knows why the boat began sinking. Updates on the survivors’ conditions are unavailable at this time.
Coast Guard shares images from dog rescue
In a social media post, the Coast Guard wrote, “A #USCG Air Station #Savannah crew rescued 2 people and a dog after their 28-foot catamaran began taking on water Monday and eventually sank near the entrance of St. Simons Sound, #Georgia. The 2 people and Reggie are in good spirits!”
#BREAKINGNEWS: A #USCG Air Station #Savannah crew rescued 2 people and a dog after their 28-foot catamaran began taking on water Monday and eventually sank near the entrance of St. Simons Sound, #Georgia. The 2 people and Reggie are in good spirits! #searchandrescue pic.twitter.com/OMti2VInKe
— USCGSoutheast (@USCGSoutheast) May 2, 2023
The Coast Guard also advised boat owners to properly equip their vessels in case of emergency. “We were able to locate the survivors’ exact position because of an alert from their PLB. A PLB transmits personalized distress signals and helps us find you in [search and rescue] missions,” Tyler Murray, a U.S. Coast Guard flight mechanic, said in a statement. “If you own a boat, the USCG highly recommends this equipment.”
Also, if you go boating regularly with your dog on board, make sure your canine companion is comfortable in the water.
