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On Sunday some friends and I had a very real day. What started out as a great ride with friends following an incredible lunch turned into a rescue situation and then assistance in preparation for recovery.

Though the article has some innacuracies, Most of it is there. We were one of three boats that pulled people from the water. Many others responded. We took the owner and captain aboard and had no idea until minutes later that his wife had gone down with the boat. Very sobering...

http://www.theday.com/article/20120819/ ... 0/0/SEARCH

That is Alchemy on the left side of the picture...

Be safe out there all. Keep your life jackets accessible. Dont run back into a sinking boat. Or a burning building. Have a plan to get off the boat if you need to. And know you are completely alone out there even when within 400 feet of land. The authorities are not prepared to go get you if you are not on the surface...

Dug

The deceased was recovered the next morning...

I think we can also add to the warnings before you pilot a boat, educate yourself to above and below water obstacle locations.

Thanks to you and other responders 9 people made it.


I can't think of anything other then a person or pet so important to go back into a sinking boat...


Carl

Dug- A 50 ft boat hits a rock that sits in 40 ft of water begs a few questions that only a local would give you a straight answer on. Is this rock marked on the surface? It seems to have a name. Was the boat running outside/inside of a bouy'd channel? The story states that the boat had a concrete/cement hull. True? If so, I would think it could take more impact than a fiberglass hull. Given the waters around Fisher's Island are reputed to be rocky, we transversed that area slowly and carefully to and from our Rendezvous, but unseen underwater rocky peaks that can sink a 50 footer is scary as hell.

This article says that there's a marker.

http://www2.turnto10.com/news/2012/aug/ ... r-1142647/

Dug, Ive been following this story since the weekend, first they said a sailing vessel hit a rock off Fishers, that would be a slow sinking. Power boat is a whole different story...Take pride in lending a hand...I cant imagine going through or witnessing that...thats why we went AROUND Fishers to get to Mystic..a bit longer ride..BH

Scary story, and good work Dug......Nothing worse than hearing a few maydays on 16...followed by "we're going down" as I did passing Cuttyhunk one day ( 55 Hat on sow & pigs). Maybe a premanition, but I move 4 PFD's up to the bridge just before the rendevous thinking the same thing...how would i get to the jackets if we had a real emergency.

Great job, Dug. It's a good thing there were some old salts like you on scene to help out. So sorry for the loss of life..

Walter,

It is a very well marked area, but there is a lot going on there. They were not in the channel. I have been on a boat that hit the same rock (not mine, not driving) and it was a sailboat, so moving more slowly. The rock is not the only rock, and not in 40' of water. The boat went down in 40 feet of water. I don't know if the boat split in half as some stories have postulated. I did not see anything but the bow and the pulpit. They/we lost the boat for over 3 hours as we could not locate it on the bottom. Finally I found it on my Raymarine equipment, and then the authorities took over from there.

Overall it is just an incredibly sad situation. The lady seemed to be one heck of a person, very active in her community, and running a good business with a great family. We all gotta go, but how and when is sometimes tough to stomach. A new york minute for sure.

Im hoping they raise the boat so I can see the damage. I think they will, as it is in a navigable channel. Given its deep, but still...

Dug