Coast Guard Rescues Two From Barnegat Inlet, Boat Sinks

BARNEGAT INLET - A Coast Guard crew rescued two people after their boat apparently struck the Barnegat Inlet jetty on Thursday.

Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay received a distress call on channel 16 from the boat passengers, who told them their recreational boat was taking on water.

A boat crew arrived tried to dewater the vessel, but could not keep up with flooding, according to a Coast Guard release.

The two were transferred to the Coast Guard boat, and were brought back to Station Barnegat Light. A commercial salvage vessel brought the flooded boat back to shore.

“This was the perfect example of boaters being prepared for an emergency,” said Chief Warrant Officer Daniel Capestany, the command duty officer at Sector Delaware Bay. “The vessel was equipped with a VHF-FM radio to call for help, and both people were wearing their life jackets. Boaters headed out on the water this Labor Day weekend should be as prepared for an emergency as these boaters were today.”

Photo: Courtesy of U.S. Coast Guard