Coast Guard Responds to Distress Call in Gloucester Harbor
Thursday, December 27, 2007
BOSTON - The Coast Guard responded yesterday to a distress call from a fishing crew who reported flooding and an engine room fire onboard their boat in Gloucester Harbor, Mass.
Coast Guard Sector Boston received a radio distress call from the crew of the Kizmat, a 35-foot Gloucester-based lobster boat, at approximately 10:40 a.m., reporting smoke and that their boat was taking on water.
A 47-foot boat crew and 25-foot boat crew, both from Coast Guard Station Gloucester, and the Coast Guard Cutter Grand Isle, a 110-foot patrol boat based in Gloucester, responded to the call and arrived on scene within minutes.
The fire melted the plastic piping on the exhaust system, and allowed about 1000 gallons of water to rush into the boat. It extinguished the fire, but continued to flood the vessel.
The 47-foot boat crew passed a dewatering pump to the Kizmat’s crew.
Two crewmembers from the rescue boat boarded the boat and helped the fishing crew dewater and plug the leak.
The 47-foot boat crew towed the vessel to Harbor Cove in Gloucester and arrived at about 11:30 a.m.
Sector Boston personnel investigated and found no pollution.
“Having a working radio onboard their vessel really paid off for these fishermen,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Gary Fleming, the officer of the day at Station Gloucester. “The sooner we know that someone is in trouble, the sooner we can respond.”