Air Station Cape Cod rescues 3 mariners 20 miles off Portsmouth, NH after vessel capsizes

PORTSMOUTH, NH – The Coast Guard successfully rescued three mariners 20 nautical miles off Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Friday evening.

Coast Guard First District watchstanders received notification on 406 MHZ from an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon registered to the 42-foot sailing vessel Triad.

The Coast Guard launched a Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew and a 45-foot Response Boat-Medium crew from Station Portsmouth Harbor.

The helicopter crew arrived on scene and located the vessel with three people waving and clinging to its hull.

“A vessel is significantly easier to spot in the ocean than a person,” said Lt. Robert Turley, MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter pilot, Air Station Cape Cod. “Mariners who stay with their vessel help take some of the search out of ‘search and rescue’ and this undoubtedly contributed to the success of this case.”

All three mariners were safely hoisted into the helicopter and transported to Pease Air National Guard Base where emergency medical services personnel were waiting.

No injuries were reported.

The vessel is marked and there is a Special Marine Information Broadcast to notify mariners in the area of the hazard to navigation.

The vessel owner is working with commercial salvage.

Weather on scene was 20 mph winds and 5-foot seas.