The Coast Guard rescued four people Sunday in Tracy Creek near Chesapeake Beach after receiving a distress call indicating that their vessel was taking on water.
The Coast Guard received a call from a cell phone shortly after 10 p.m. Sunday from one of the crewmembers aboard a 25-foot Bayliner reporting they were taking on water and sinking.
The call was lost and the Coast Guard issued an Urgent Marine Information Broadcast (UMIB) urging other boaters to watch for any vessels in distress. Communication with the vessel was regained after the crewmember from the sinking vessel called 911.
A rescue crew from Station Annapolis launched a 41-foot utility boat to begin the search. At approximately 11:30 p.m., the first of the four men was found and placed aboard the rescue boat. A debris field was found shortly afterwards in Tracy Creek near Chesapeake Beach. Following the drift of the debris field, the rescue crew was able to locate the missing men less than three hours after the initial call. All four men involved were wearing life jackets.
They were taken to Skipper’s Landing Marina and released to awaiting EMS personnel.
Rescued were Orlando Phillips, Gregory Phillips and Patelakis Panayi from Annapolis as well as Frankios Koryak from Glen Burnie.
The Coast Guard urges boaters to always wear life jackets while on the water and to have a reliable communication device, such as a marine band radio, onboard in case of an emergency on the water.