Smith Point Sea Rescue vice president Jim Bullard reported crews recently responded to the following calls for assistance.
June 6: At 2 p.m., the captain of a 30-foot Pearson sailboat reported that his engine had failed. Rescue 3 was dispatched with four crew aboard from Olverson’s Marina on Lodge Creek. The sailboat was towed from the Hampton Hall branch of the West Yeocomico River to Kinsale Marina for haul out and repairs. Time on call, 1 hour
June 6: At 9 a.m., a three-man crew on Rescue 1 arrived at the Fishermen’s Museum in Reedville to move the push boat for the Claud W. Somers. The inoperable push boat was rafted up to Rescue 1 and moved to Buzzard’s Point Marina where it was placed on a trailer for repairs. A week later Rescue 1 was called to return the repaired push boat to the museum. Time on call, 1 hour.
June 16: At 2:30 p.m., the sheriff called Sea Rescue with a report of a boat on fire in the bay off Taskmaker Creek. Rescue 1 was scrambled from Reedville with a crew of four. They found two people aboard a 20-foot bowrider with an outboard motor still smoking after completely burning up. The boat was towed to the owner’s dock on Whay’s Creek. Time on call, 2 hours.
June 16: At 2:35 p.m., a man fishing for cobia reported his engine had failed and he needed assistance. Rescue 1 was dispatched from Reedville and located the 26-foot Parker cabin cruiser anchored in the Chesapeake Bay well off the fish nets off Dameron Bay. The boat was towed up the Great Wicomico to Billy Buck’s Marina for repairs.Time on call, 2 hours.
June 21: At 4 p.m., the sheriff received a call from the wife of an elderly man with health issues. The man had gone fishing alone near Fairport and was overdue. Rescue 2 was dispatched with a crew of three. As the crew located and approached the gentleman he hurriedly started his engine and raced home, to what may have been a precarious reunion with his wife. Time on call, 1 hour.
June 28: At 8:30 a.m., a crew of four Sea Rescue members took 11 children and their counselor from the Northumberland Family YMCA on a fishing trip in conjunction with the Reedville Fishermen’s Museum. The children were thrilled when they were surrounded by a pod of dolphins in the Great Wicomico River. Time on call, 4 hours.
June 29: At 2 p.m., the sheriff received a call from the captain of a 25-foot Parker cabin cruiser who was out of gas near red buoy 62 in the bay. Rescue 1 located the boat with a grandfather and three grandsons aboard. The crew gave the captain 10 gallons of gas and after helping prime the engine the captain was able to restart his motor. Rescue 1 escorted the boat back to Smith Point Marina. Time on call, 2 hours.
June 30: At 8 p.m., the captain of a 16-foot Boston Whaler skiff with nine people aboard (two young families) reported his engine had failed in Cockrell’s Creek. Rescue 1 towed the boat into Buzzard’s Point Marina for repairs.
Smith Point Sea Rescue can be reached on channel 16 or by calling 911. Rescue 1 and 2 are based on the Great Wicomico River and Rescue 3 is on Lodge Creek off the Yeocomico River.
