EAST LYME, Conn. — Two people were rescued after their boat capsized in Long Island Sound on Tuesday afternoon, East Lyme police said. FaceTime was used to pinpoint the location, and the rescue was caught on police body camera.
Units from East Lyme and surrounding agencies, including the U.S. Coast Guard, responded to a 911 call regarding a "boat taking on water."
The boat capsized while the two people were on the phone with 911 dispatchers, sending them into the water. The two were able to climb on top of the capsized boat.
"These guys, fortunately, had a telephone that did not get soaking wet and they were able to communicate with us," said Lt. Michael Macek of the East Lyme Police Department.
When the call came in, it was thought the pair was located off Millstone Point in Niantic Bay. Dispatchers used FaceTime with the individuals to get a better idea of their surroundings, as the two people had difficulty reporting their location, police said.
FaceTime helped responders on the water pinpoint the capsized boat, according to police.
The capsized boat was found a quarter-mile from the New York border in Long Island Sound off Black Point, police said.
An East Lyme Marine Unit reached the capsized boat, where the two people were standing. The two people grabbed onto the rescue boat's railing and crews helped pull them onto the deck, police body cam shows.
The rescue boat took the two to Mago Point in Waterford, where Waterford EMTs evaluated them.
The U.S. Coast Guard said it is common to receive 911 calls of boaters needing rescuing as the weather warms up.
"Definitely a major increase from over the winter but right on par for our normal for the summer," said Lt. Stephen Lawrence. "We typically get throughout the summer, about 500 cases, different search, and rescue cases."
Officials stressed the importance of life jackets when climbing aboard any water vessel and offered these other four tips:
- Dress for the water
- Know the weather before heading out
- File a float plan
- Carry devices like walkie talkies for communication
"It is important to have the right safety equipment and it’s a requirement. Connecticut does require that you have certain safety equipment and what we find is customers don’t always check that safety equipment," said Scott Leahy, owner of Boats Incorporated.
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