Coast Guard Rescues 2 Stranded Hunters Off Little Egg Inlet

BRIGANTINE, NJ — The Coast Guard rescued two stranded duck hunters Tuesday near Little Egg Inlet in Brigantine.

The two hunters became stranded when they disembarked their vessel to hunt on an island but were unable to recover their boat upon return.

Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay received a call from Sea Tow at about 3 p.m. Due to the shallow water surrounding the island, Sea Tow was unable to reach the individuals.

The Coast Guard launched a helicopter crew from Air Station Atlantic City. The aircrew found the hunters with only one bottle of water, no food and cell phones with little charge left.

The aircrew hoisted the two hunters and brought them safely back to the air station. No injuries were reported.

“This case could have had a much different result,” said David Umberger, command duty officer at the Sector Delaware Bay command center. “The water is an unpredictable place and a potentially fatal place for the unprepared, especially given the freezing water temperatures this time of year. Anyone thinking about heading out on the water should be prepared with a life jacket and some type of marine radio that can reach Channel 16 so that we can find them quickly in an emergency.”

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