Coast Guard rescues Man After 6 Days Stranded on Island on Cay Sal Bank

[Cormorant]

Man Rescued After Being Stranded on Island: Coast Guard | NBC 6 South Florida

A man who spent six days stranded on an island in the Bahamas was rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard, officials said Tuesday.
The man, identified as 39-year-old Larry Sutterfield, was on a dinghy that went adrift and landed on an island in Cay Sal Bank, Coast Guard officials said.
A Coast Guard C-130 airplane spotted the man on Monday, waving his arms in distress. The crew of the plane dropped a radio, food and water to Sutterfield.
Sutterfield was picked up by a Coast Guard boat and taken back to Key West with no major injuries.

[Suijin]

Originally Posted by Cormorant

"39-year-old Larry Sutterfield, was on a dinghy that went adrift "

Well there's a story.

[Cheechako]

Yeah, especially with an inflatable dingy, keep track of what's down wind from you. If your engine goes bad... you sometimes cannot row an inflatable (except downwind!) in a strong wind. (I don't know what kind of dingy he had..)

[Custom30]

I never leave the boat without a dinghy anchor and suitable rode, as I have 100% confidence in outboards (that they will occaissionally fail).


'

[Steadman Uhlich]

Originally Posted by Cheechako

Yeah, especially with an inflatable dingy, keep track of what's down wind from you. If your engine goes bad... you sometimes cannot row an inflatable (except downwind!) in a strong wind. (I don't know what kind of dingy he had..)

So true!

I was once in an inflatable dinghy with two short oars (no motor) and a wind blew up and started me across a murky brackish lagoon towards a thick mangrove swampy area. I remembered seeing signs earlier warning to not enter the water ("Danger: Do Not Swim: Alligators") and this gave me great incentive to get that dinghy across that body of water! The dinghy would go a few feet forward on a stroke, but be blown back almost as much by the wind! It was hard to make any headway against the wind! Frustrating and required some vigorous work and very tiring. But I was highly motivated!!

[rognvald]

The Cay Sal Bank is a beautiful, desolate area between The Florida Keys and Andros Island. The fishing and diving is superb. The islands are tidal anchorages with very few boats except charter and diving boats from Florida. The area has a very high concentration of sharks and frequently hosts refugees from Haiti and Cuba whose vessels have foundered among the cays. Here's a short video. http://youtu.be/Z23eTwTF6RQ

[rbyham]

Hmmm. Not my idea of beautiful...

[AnchorageGuy]

I have looked at this with a bit of confusion. By my estimates, any vessel adrift in the Gulf Stream near Marathon is going to be carried well north of Cay Sal. Something just doesn't "track well" for me. That dinghy would have to have drifted south against the Gulf Stream. But I could be off base. Chuck

[Cadence]

Originally Posted by AnchorageGuy

I have looked at this with a bit of confusion. By my estimates, any vessel adrift in the Gulf Stream near Marathon is going to be carried well north of Cay Sal. Something just doesn't "track well" for me. That dinghy would have to have drifted south against the Gulf Stream. But I could be off base. Chuck

I'd agree. More likely to make landfall in N.C..

[elschwieb]

It struck me as odd too, especially when I viewed the video and he exited from a tent. Not many cruisers I know carry a tent in their dinghies, but maybe he has a very sophisticated and complete ditch bag (but without a radio, flares, etc.). It will be interesting to hear the complete story and learn from it.

[zeehag]

reflatables do awesome in wind,and donot sit deep enough into water to be affected by current. btdt in sdbay--tide had no effect, but the wind shorely did, mon.. whoot.....

[Scout 30]

From the video it's an inflatable. Not the first case of someone being blown out to see in one. One of the reasons we've got a Bauer 10. It rows like a dream. When we do use the Avon I always have an anchor with enough line to actually work.