Coast Guard: Life jacket saves jetskier in Ocean City

OCEAN CITY, Md. – A life jacket played a key role in saving a man who fell off his jet ski in the Ocean City Inlet on Saturday.

The Coast Guard Station in Ocean City was contacted by 911 dispatch at 5:07 p.m. on Saturday and was notified that a man had called, saying he fell off his jet ski and was unable to swim back to it.

A 24-foot Response Boat-Small crew from Station Ocean City was deployed to respond.

Once on scene, the crew found and rescued the man approximately 100 yards from his jet ski. He was wearing his life jacket and had no reported injuries.

“We constantly urge people to wear their life jacket and have a communication device handy — this is a prime example of how they can save your life,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Michael Maffioli, boat crew member during the case. “The guy said he was in the water for 30 minutes, which is a long time to have to tread water. If his life jacket was tucked under the seat and not on his body, there probably would have been a different more tragic outcome.”