Ernesto-tossed boaters rescued | video
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- The U.S. Coast Guard rescued several boaters Wednesday night when they became stranded in the Atlantic while trying to outrun Ernesto off the coast of Brevard County.
A Coast Guard helicopter pulled two sailors off a
boat in high winds as the vessel was being knocked around by rough surf in the Atlantic,
FLORIDA TODAY news partner WKMG Local 6 News reported.
Officials said the boaters were trying to make it to the
Bahamas but a main sail broke in the 26 mph
wind and they
lost all
engine power.
"(The boaters) got caught up in Ernesto's wrath," Local 6's Jessica D'Onofrio said.
"They were obviously trying to outrun the storm," U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Chris Kelly said. "Losing
power to their vessel could have been directly related to the storm or not but once they
lost power then they were at the storm's mercy."
The
men were airlifted to Port Canaveral. They were not seriously injured.
________________
Sounds like clogged
fuel filters. But losing their
mainsail in 26 mph
wind and 4-6 foot seas, has me scratching my
head as does why they would make this trip in a well publicized Tropical Storm. They were pulled off their
boat about 20 miles east of me, and I never saw more than 22 mph of wind here.
No spare
fuel filters?
One comment about this news story... They weren't trying to outrun Ernesto if they were heading south. They were heading directly into a Tropical Storm!!
Perhaps they didn't think their trip through completely?
http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbc.../60831001/1086
Rick in Florida