Coast Guard Assists Ailing Man Aboard Sailboat

The U.S. Coast Guard assisted an ailing 77-year-old man aboard a sailboat anchored just off Chesapeake Beach Inlet Sunday evening.

Two reporting sources notified watchstanders at Sector Maryland-National Capital Region’s command center that a 26-foot sailboat with two people aboard appeared to be floundering just outside the inlet.

One of the two people aboard the sailboat called Coast Guard Station Oxford and reported that her friend, a 77-year-old diabetic man, was weak, disoriented, and in need of medical assistance.

A 29-foot Response Boat-Small crew from Station Oxford launched to assist the man. The boat crew put the sailboat in a side tow and brought them to a private marina in Chesapeake Beach, where they transferred the ailing man to EMS personnel.

“Two concerned citizens took action and called the Coast Guard when they saw the sailboat and thought something might be wrong,” said William D. Carter, operations unit controller for the case. “We encourage all mariners and coastal residents to keep an eye out for anything unusual on the water. If you see something, say something.”