Crews with the U.S. Coast Guard rescued two men early Tuesday morning after their boat ran aground and overturned near Carolina Beach.
Watchstanders with the U.S. Coast Guard Sector North Carolina received a report about a 41-foot fishing boat named Allicat that had run aground with the two men aboard. The incident happened in the area of Snow’s Cut at about 11:06 p.m. Monday, according to a news release from the Coast Guard.
The two men – ages 25 and 35 – remained aboard the boat and waited for high tide to re-float the boat. But at about 1:16 a.m. Tuesday, watchstanders received a notice that the boat had overturned and one of the men was in the water.
The Coast Guard launched a 29-foot response boat from the Wrightsville Beach station and arrived on scene at 1:51 a.m. Crews pulled the man out of the water and brought both men aboard the response boat.
Both men showed signs of cold weather exposure. One man had leg injuries and the other reported back injuries. The crew took the two men to the Carolina Beach Wildlife boat ramp, where they were taken by EMS to the New Hanover Regional Medical Center around 2 a.m. Tuesday. The two men were reportedly in stable condition.
The Coast Guard is investigating possible pollution due to a sheen that was reported in the vicinity of the overturned boat. The boat holds a maximum capacity of 150 gallons of diesel fuel, though the amount on board at the time of the incident is unknown.
“We are very pleased with our timely response last night to assist two crew members from the Allicat,” Chief Warrant Officer Keith D. Moore, command duty officer at Sector North Carolina, said. “Station Wrightsville Beach’s small boat team was able to pull them to safety and deliver them to the required medical attention. The Coast Guard always stands ready to respond when people are in distress, and last night was a perfect example.”
