Coast Guard Cutter Elm Rescues 4 from Capsized Boat

FORT MACON, N.C. (February 27, 2011) - Crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Elm rescued four boaters when their 27-foot pleasure craft capsized 20 miles east of Cape Hatteras Sunday afternoon.

Coast Guard watchstanders received a call from the crew of the vessel at 2:50 p.m. stating they were taking on water.

The Elm was diverted from normal operations and arrived on scene at 3:12 p.m.

A Coast Guard rescue boat crew was also launched from Station Cape Hatteras.

"This case represents the effective use of safety equipment, including life jackets and a handheld VHF radio, that saved 4 lives today," said Craig Sanders, a civilian working out of USCG Sector North Carolina. "The Coast Guard's Rescue 21 system was able to confirm the location of the distressed mariners by triangulating their VHF mayday call, allowing the Elm to arrive on scene before hypothermia could set in."

The Elm is a 225-foot buoy tender homeported in Fort Macon, N.C.

Coast Guard Uses AMVER, Assists Distressed French Sailing Vessel

PORTSMOUTH, Va. (February 27, 2011) — The four sailors aboard the distressed sailing vessel Recidive have been safely rescued by the merchant vessel Delta Kanaris Sunday.

At 12:05 a.m., the crew of the Delta Kanaris reported they had safely recovered all four passengers from the French flagged Recidive and were departing the scene en route to Philadelphia.

Coast Guard watchstanders had received notification of a broadcast from a personal locator beacon assigned to the Recidive at 1:45 p.m. Saturday.

Using AMVER, the Automated Mutual-Assistance Vessel Rescue System, the Coast Guard directed the Delta Kanaris to the location of the broadcast.

The French nationals were sailing from the Canary Islands to Martinique on a trans-Atlantic voyage.