Five people, whose boat capsized in the Bay near Cape Charles, are safe thanks to four different good Samaritan boats rushing to help.
Around 10:15 Thursday morning, The Coast Guard Station Cape Charles got a call on VHF Channel 16 from the boat Real Joy, who reported a capsized boat with four men and one woman in the water.
While the Coast Guard launched a rescue boat, good Samaritans from two recreational boats and two fishing boats helped by tossing life jackets to the victims and shielding their overturned boat from waves near the Old Plantation Flats Light.
When the Coast Guard crew arrived, they helped the boaters onto their response boat and delivered the patients to EMS waiting on land.
“It’s good to see mariners keeping a solid watch and helping each other out,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Dylan Nigh, coxswain of the Coast Guard rescue boat. “Sometimes fellow mariners are the first responders – these good Samaritans did the right thing by contacting us as soon as possible and safely helping out in any way they could.”
-Meg Walburn Viviano
