Good Samaritan, Coast Guard Rescue Boaters After Propeller Injures One

A good Samaritan and members of the Coast Guard rescued two boaters when their propeller hurt one of them Saturday near Tolchester Beach, Maryland.

The Samaritan used his radio to notify officials he had saved two boaters from the water a few miles from Tolchester Beach, CBS Baltimore reported.

“One of the boaters had fallen overboard and the other boater jumped in the water to assist him. While assisting the boater who fell in, the second boater sustained injuries,” the Coast Guard said in a press release:

Crews from Station Curtis Bay were performing patrols and diverted to the scene. When they arrived, the good Samaritan transferred the mariners to the response boat.

The crew administered first aid while transitioning to Tolchester Marina where Kent County EMS was on hand to take them to the hospital.

“Without the proper equipment onboard we would not have been able to assist the boaters in distress,” Petty Officer 3rd Class Valerie Foreman, the coxswain of the RBS from Coast Guard Station Curtis Bay, noted.

“We encourage boaters to not only have working radios onboard their vessels but to also know how to use them in case of an emergency. The use of channel 16 is a critical and efficient way of contacting the Coast Guard in times of distress,” Foreman added.

According to its website, the Coast Guard saves individuals in peril and protects America from maritime threats:

As a branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, a law enforcement organization, a regulatory agency, a member of the U.S. Intelligence Community, and a first responder, the Coast Guard employs a unique mix of authorities, broad jurisdiction, flexible operational capabilities, and a network of partnerships.

On an average day, the Coast Guard conducts 42 search and rescue operations and saves 12 lives, the agency said.