Coast Guard rescues fishermen and dog during Hermine

Members of the U.S. Coast Guard say, they rescued a fishermen crew and a dog this weekend after they were stranded during Tropical Storm Hermine off of Virginia’s Eastern Shore.

According to reports, on Saturday around 3:00 AM the Coast Guard got word of a 60-foot commercial fishing boat was soft aground near Wachapreague Inlet. The boat eventually freed itself, however two hours later the crew reportedly discovered serious damage to the rudder along with flooding.

At about 4:45 AM a Coast Guard crew from Chincoteague reportedly made their way to the boat arriving just after 8:15 AM. But they were unable to rescue the crew because towing the boat back to shore was not an option and heave seas made it too dangerous for a direct transfer of people between vessels.

A helicopter crew from North Carolina was eventually called, and arrived on scene around 1:00 PM and rescued all three people and their dog to the helicopter.

The 60-foot commercial fishing boat remains adrift near the Virginia/North Carolina border about 6 miles offshore. The Coast Guard say it’s monitoring the boats position and will continue to issue an hourly broadcast notice to mariners to alert people of the drifting vessel. Officials say, towing the boat is not option at this time due to limitations of its structure and current sea conditions.