CG Rescues Injured Woman After Sailboat Runs Aground

CAPE MAY — The Coast Guard medevaced a 57-year-old woman from a sailboat near the Cape May-Lewes Ferry Terminal June 9.
The operator of the 42-foot sailboat Affinity notified watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay via VHF-FM radio that they had run aground and his passenger suffered a rib injury after falling into the boat’s railing.
Watchstanders launched a boat crew from Coast Guard Station Cape May aboard a 45-foot Response Boat—Medium (RB-M). When they arrived on scene with the Affinity, they placed the woman on a backboard and carried her up from the sailboat’s cabin to the rescue craft. She was experiencing chest pain, back pain and difficulty breathing.
Once ashore at Station Cape May, she was transferred to personnel from the Cape May Fire Department.
“We appreciate the help we received from the captain of the MV Cape Henlopen, which operates out of the Cape May-Lewes Ferry Terminal,” stated Petty Officer 1st Class Eric Vedder in a release, Station Cape May’s operations petty officer. “The Cape Henlopen maintained communications with the sailing vessel Affinity until we arrived on scene and they even had EMS personnel standing by at the at the ferry terminal. However, due to the patient’s condition, the decision was made to bring her to Station Cape May.”
Station Cape May operates the Coast Guard’s newest small boat that boasts an improved design, new ergonomics, and enhanced safety features, making boat crews more effective in performing their multiple missions. The RB-M is part of the Coast Guard’s plan to standardize and revitalize its shore-based boat fleet.