PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WVEC) — The Coast Guard assisted a boater who went missing near Cherrystone Campground in Cape Charles, Virginia, late Monday night.
According to the Coast Guard, watchstanders were notified at about 9 p.m. by the man's wife. She said her husband left for a 15-minute trip in a Jon Boat, but he hadn't returned for over two hours.
Sector Hampton Roads watchstanders issued an Urgent Marine Information Broadcast and launched a 29-foot rescue boat cerw from Coast Guard Station Cape Charles, and an HH-60 Jayhawk rescue helicopter crew from Air Station Elizabeth City was launched. Virginia Marine Police and North Hampton Sheriff’s Department also assisted in the search of the missing boater.
The Coast Guard rescue helicopter crew spotted the man in shallow water waving his arms. Crews hoisted him aboard the helicopter. The rescue helicopter crew dropped the man off at Cherrystone Campground with no reported injuries.
“Having a float plan and a communication device like a VHF radio will get first responders to you quickly when you’re in trouble,” said Lt. Cmdr. Trisha Jantzen, a search and rescue mission coordinator at Coast Guard Sector Hampton Roads. “If you let someone know where you’re going and when you’re headed back, coupled with a way to reach out for help, you will drastically reduce search time and increase your chances to be rescued.”
