ASBURY PARK, N.J. — The Coast Guard rescued two people from the hull of a capsized boat in the mouth of Shark River here Sunday.

Rescued were Lee Cuong, 41, from Lester, Pa., and Hai Lee, 42, from Upper Darby, Pa.

A Belmar Police Department member notified Coast Guard watchstanders of the distress via VHF-FM radio hail at 2:21 a.m., reporting two people waving their arms from the 19-foot boats’s overturned hull.

A 25-foot Response Boat – Small crew from Station Shark River arrived on scene at 2:28 a.m., rescued the people and transported them back to the station. The boaters declined medical attention.

"The Coast Guard reminds all mariners that a vessel can capsize very quickly. There may not be time to put on a life jacket or hail for help. Please wear a lifejacket whenever on the water. In addition, keep a registered emergency position indicating radio beacon aboard your vessel so rescue crews can pinpoint your location in an emergency," said Petty Officer 1st Class Jason McDonnell, a crewmember from the station.

PORTSMOUTH, Va. — Watchstanders at the Coast Guard 5th District command center coordinated a rescue approximately 650 miles northeast of Bermuda with the assistance of the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre Denmark and a Finnish naval vessel, Saturday.

At approximately noon the watchstanders received a notification from a member of RCC Denmark, stating that there were two people aboard the sailing vessel Petra in need of assistance.

The reporting source said that they had been in contact with the crew since 7 a.m. when the sailors reported having a loose keel. The crew later stated that they were abandoning ship due to flooding.

The Coast Guard watchstanders, in Portsmouth, sent out an enhanced group call and asked the captain of the Finnish Navy Ship Pohjanmaa to assist. Watchstanders had also used AMVER, the Automated mutual-assistance vessel rescue system, to be in communications with other vessels’ crews in the area in case their assistance was needed.

The crew aboard the Pohjanmaa was approximately three hours from the sailors’ last known position when they diverted to assist with the rescue.

Using the position information received from the sailing vessel’s emergency position indicating radio beacon, the command center’s watchstanders directed the crew of the Pohjanmaa, who recovered both sailors.

“Thanks to the coordinated effort and support of the AMVER vessels along with the Finnish Navy, this case couldn’t have gone smoother,” said Lt. Chris Svencer, a Coast Guard 5th District watchstander. “The sailing vessel’s extensive safety equipment on board made tracking their condition and position quick and efficient, allowing for the safe rescue of the crew.”

The crew of the Petra was traveling from St. Maarten to the archipelago of the Azores, Portugal when they abandoned ship into a life raft with a satellite phone and activated their EPIRB.

PORTSMOUTH, Va. — Watchstanders at the Coast Guard 5th District command center coordinated a rescue approximately 400 miles northeast of Bermuda with the assistance of a German flagged container ship, Friday night.

At approximately 6:30 p.m., the watchstanders received a notification from a member of the National Maritime and Aeronautical Rescue Coordination Centre in Den Helder, Netherlands, stating that there were four people aboard the sailing vessel Outer Limits in need of assistance.

The reporting source said that the crew stated that they had struck a whale and were quickly taking on water.

The watchstanders sent out an enhanced group call then using AMVER, the Automated mutual-assistance vessel rescue system, they asked the captain of the E R Melbourne to assist the sailors in distress.

The crew of the E R Melbourne traveled approximately 35 miles and arrived on scene at 8 p.m.

“It's reassuring to see recreational mariners take the necessary precautions, such as having an EPIRB, long range communication capabilities and other safety equipment, to ensure a timely response in the case of an emergency such as this,” said Petty Officer 1st Class Cullen Rafferty, a Coast Guard 5th District watchstander. “Because of these necessary precautions, a multi agency response was able to be coordinated and a tragedy averted.”

The crew of the Outer Limits was in a race from the Bahamas to the archipelago of the Azores, Portugal.

“The response of the AMVER vessel E R Melbourne displayed the true nature of the mariner to help those in need,” said Rafferty.

The crew aboard the E R Melbourne is en route to Italy.

PHILADELPHIA — The Coast Guard rescued a 23-year-old male from the Delaware River near Timber Creek here Friday. 

Rescued was Casey Shubert, 23.

A crewmember aboard the tugboat Candice contacted Coast Guard watchstanders via VHF-FM radio at approximately 2:30 p.m. and reported that a person aboard a personal watercraft was trying to ride the tug’s wake, fell in the water, was injured and unconscious.  

A 25-foot Response Boat — Small crew, from Coast Guard Station Philadelphia, picked up Shubert from the water at approximately 3 p.m. and transported him to the Philadelphia Cruise Ship Terminal where he was transferred to awaiting emergency medical personnel. He was taken to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia.

“This situation could have escalated into a much worse scenario if Shubert had not been wearing his life jacket when he was unconscious in the water,” said Petty Officer 2^nd Class Melvin Oldham, a crewmember from the station.

PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The Coast Guard suspended its search at approximately 7:30 p.m. Wednesday for a 32-year-old man who went missing at Brier Hall Point in the Alligator River near the entrance to the Albemarle Sound in North Carolina.

The responders searched eight and a half hours for the missing man covering approximately 80 square miles.

Coast Guard Sector North Carolina watchstanders received notification at noon via the Dare County 911 Dispatch Center from Manns Harbor Fire Department that a vessel was sinking and two people were in the water.

Dare County also reported that one man swam to shore, but the other was still missing.

Watchstanders issued an urgent marine information broadcast and launched a helicopter crew aboard an MH-60 Jayhawk from Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, in Elizabeth City, N.C., and a crew aboard a 24-foot Special Purpose Craft – Shallow Water from Coast Guard Station Elizabeth City, to search with Manns Harbor Fire Department.

BALTIMORE ─ The Coast Guard in Maryland and Washington, D.C., is scheduled to participate in National Safe Boating Week May 19 to 25.

National Safe Boating Week marks the informal beginning of summer and Coast Guard crews throughout the Upper Chesapeake Bay region will be on patrol paying particular attention to recreational boating safety.

"Always think safety and anticipate possibilities when going out on the water," said Capt. Mark O'Malley, the commander of Coast Guard Sector Baltimore. "Things to address include having properly fitted life jackets, a float plan, so a person at home knows where you intend to go and when you plan to return, and a reliable method of communication with the Coast Guard if you get into trouble. Help us help you to fully enjoy your time on the water this summer."

In this area, the 2011 statistics show 188 boating accidents resulting in a total of 18 fatalities.

Life jackets save lives. Seventy percent of all fatal boating accident victims drowned, and of those, 84 percent were reported as not wearing a life jacket.  Accidents can leave even a strong swimmer injured, unconscious and exhausted in the water.

The Coast Guard can narrow down a search for a missing or distressed boater when a boater files a float plan with a friend, family member, local marina personnel or the Coast Guard. A float plan states where you are going and how many people are aboard your vessel. It also gives a vessel description, details your destination and what time you expect to arrive there. If you are delayed for some reason, make sure you let someone know.

In addition, a VHF-FM radio is the best method of communication while on the water. Although cell phones are a good backup, they can be unreliable due to gaps in coverage area and the inevitable dead battery. 

Here are some other tips to help boaters have a safe and prepared summer on the water:

• Check the local weather prior to departing the dock. Weather can change very rapidly, and a watchful eye on the forecast conditions is key to safety.
• Have nautical charts of the area you are boating in, a global positioning device and a reliable means of communication on board your vessel.
• Obtain a free, no-fault vessel safety check, which can be conducted by the Coast Guard Auxiliary, before heading out on the water. The safety checks are courtesy examinations of your vessel, verifying the presence and condition of certain safety equipment required by state and federal regulations.
• Boating under the influence or boating while intoxicated is just as deadly as drinking and driving. It is illegal to operate a boat while under the influence of alcohol or drugs in every state. Penalties for violating BUI and BWI laws can include large fines, suspension or revocation of boat operator privileges and jail terms. Alcohol use is the leading contributing factor in fatal boating accidents.

Media wanting more information are requested to contact Public Affairs Detachment Baltimore at 410-576-2638.

For audio public service announcements please click the following links:

Lifejackets - U.S. Coast Guard - Closer than you think

Lifejackets - U.S. Coast Guard - Speechless

Lifejackets - U.S. Coast Guard - First Impulse

Scan the quick response code below to view the Coast Guard approved float plan on your mobile device.

For further boating safety information, check online at one of the following:

Vessel Safety Checks: http://www.vesselsafetycheck.org/

Coast Guard Boating Safety page: http://www.uscgboating.org/

National Safe Boating Council: http://www.safeboatingcouncil.org/

U.S. Power Squadrons: http://www.usps.org/

PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The Coast Guard rescued four people after their 20-foot boat began taking on water approximately 10 miles off the coast of Wrightsville Beach, N.C., Wednesday.

At approximately 3 p.m., watchstanders at Coast Guard Station Wrightsville Beach received the report from a member of the New Hanover County Emergency Management and 911 Communications.

A crew aboard a 41-foot Utility Boat launched to assist.

When the Coast Guard arrived on scene the 20-foot vessel’s stern was already submerged. The boaters were transferred from their vessel to shore aboard the UTB.

"The main thing is to be prepared for anything," said Petty Officer 2nd Class Micah Kennedy, a crewmember from Station Wrightsville Beach. "They had all the safety equipment that they needed aboard, even exceeding the number of lifejackets that they needed.”

Kennedy also said that making sure that all safety equipment is aboard is crucial and that having a spare hand-held dewatering pump, just in case you need it, would be ideal.

Coast Guard Sector North Carolina watchstanders are broadcasting a safety marine information broadcast to warn boaters of the vessel, which was left on scene.

Crewmembers of Station Wrightsville Beach are en route to the vessel to report its condition.

The owner is making arrangements to salvage the vessel.

CORRECTION: Manns Harbor Fire Department requested Coast Guard search assistance through Dare County 911 Dispatch Center

PORTSMOUTH, Va. —The Coast Guard is searching for a 32-year-old man who went missing, Wednesday, at Brier Hall point in the Alligator River near the entrance to the Albemarle Sound in North Carolina.

Coast Guard Sector North Carolina watchstanders received notification at noon via the Dare County 911 Dispatch Center from Manns Harbor Fire Department that a vessel was sinking, and two people were in the water.

Dare County also reported that one man swam to shore, but the other was still missing.

Watchstanders issued an urgent marine information broadcast and launched an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Air Station Elizabeth City, in Elizabeth City, N.C., to search with Manns Harbor Fire Department.

PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The Coast Guard medevaced a 23-year-old man off a merchant vessel approximately 30 miles east of Kitty Hawk, N.C., Monday.

An agent for the merchant vessel, Norfolk Express, called watchstanders at the Coast Guard 5th District at approximately 1 p.m. requesting a medevac for a male crewmember who was in need of assistance.

An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Air Station Elizabeth City in Elizabeth City, N.C., launched to assist, hoisted the man and took him to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital in Norfolk.

"Everything went very well," said Lt. Jane Peña, the co-pilot of the Jayhawk.  "The crew worked well together to help ensure the quick and efficient response for this medevac."

WILMINGTON, N.C. — The Coast Guard is warning mariners of shoaling approximately one-half mile into the Hatteras Inlet Channel here, Monday.

The width of the channel has been reduced due to encroaching shoals on either side of the waterway.

Vessel operators are urged not to pass other vessels in the vicinity of buoy 11A, light list number 28730.1, and 12C, light list number 28732.3, in the Hatteras Inlet Channel.

"We've had numerous vessels run aground in this area, including one with injuries this past weekend," said Capt. Anthony Popiel, the commander of Coast Guard Sector North Carolina in Wilmington. "We urge all boaters to exercise due caution in this waterway to ensure their safety and that of others."

Vessels transiting the area are reminded not to inhibit the passage of ferries or dredges, as they have limited maneuverability. Vessel masters are reminded of their responsibilities in narrow channels in accordance with rule 9 of the Navigation Rules.

For more information, including recent channel depths, visit the Army Corps of Engineers website at http://www.saw.usace.army.mil/nav/.