CLEVELAND — Good Samaritans rescued seven people from boating emergencies in Lake Erie and Lake Michigan Thursday evening and Friday morning.
The names and hometowns of the rescued and Good Sams are not being released.
A Good Sam rescued three people Thursday night after their boat began taking on water one mile north of the Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Plant in Oak Harbor, Ohio. The Good Sam took the three people aboard his boat while Coast Guard Station Marblehead and South Shore Towing were notified. A rescue boatcrew aboard a 33-foot Special Purpose Craft-Law Enforcement launched from the station and took the three people from the Good Sam’s boat and transferred them to the Wild Wings Marina in Oak Harbor. The towing company dewatered the boat and towed it to a nearby pier for safety. The three people did not need emergency medical services.
In a separate case, a Good Sam rescued one person and watched as three people were able to make it safely to shore on their own after their boat capsized 200-yards off shore in the Algoma Harbor in Algoma, Wis. A rescue boatcrew from Coast Guard Station Sturgeon Bay, Wis., launched aboard a 45-foot Response Boat-Medium to assist. The Good Sam took the rescued person to Algoma City Marina where they were united with the other three people, treated for hypothermia by emergency medical services and released in good condition.
“The Coast Guard is ready to respond to emergencies around the clock, but Good Sams can be faster since they are they are already on-scene when emergencies occur,” said Capt. Andrew Sugimoto, Ninth Coast Guard District chief of the Incident Management Branch.
“We encourage boaters to safely help one another in emergencies, but it's even more important for boaters to help themselves by boating safe and planning ahead to prevent emergencies.”
Click here to learn more about boating safely in cold water.
Click here to learn more about surviving cold water immersion.
For more information, contact the 9th Coast Guard District Public Affairs Office at 216-902-6020