Smith Point Sea Rescue vice president Jim Bullard reported crews have responded to the following calls for assistance:
November 20: At 8am the captain of a 31-foot trawler from Jersey City, New Jersey, called to report that his vessel was hopelessly tangled in oyster cages in the Little Wicomico River near Bamboo Island. Rescue 1 with a crew of four was dispatched from Reedville and another member of Sea Rescue who could see the entangled trawler from his home arrived in his personal boat. With help from both rescue boats the trawler with one aboard was freed from the cages. The Captain reported that his transmission was now inoperable so Rescue 1 towed the vessel into Smith Point Marina for repairs. Time on call, 2 hours
November 21: At 3pm a distress call was received from the captain of a 22’ Grady White who was fishing with two aboard. He reported he was adrift 6 nautical miles south of Tangier Island with engine problems. Rescue 1 with a crew of 5 departed from the Sea Rescue boathouse in Reedville and motored across the Bay where they found the vessel and towed it back to Buzzard’s Point Marina in Reedville for repairs. Time on call, 4 hours
November 27: At 2pm the captain of a 30’ Century center console reported a steering malfunction in Bridge Creek off the Little Wicomico River. Rescue 3 with three crew was dispatched from Smith Point Marina and towed the disabled vessel back to the marina for repairs. Time on call 2 hours
December 3: At 9am Rescue 1 with a crew of 6 motored to the Reedville Fisherman’s Museum where they pick up the museum’s 38’ deadrise Foggy River and towed it to Jennings Boatyard to be hauled out of the water. Time on call 1 hour
December 11: At 10am the captain of a 25’ Parker fishing boat called to report he had lost his transmission and was adrift just south of Smith Point Light. Rescue 1 with a crew of three departed Reedville and by the time they located the vessel it had drifted four miles north. Rescue 1 towed the vessel with three aboard into Ingram Bay Marina for repairs. Time on call, 3 hours
December 12: At 1pm the owner of a 25’ Striper center console reported he was dead in the water in the Little Wicomico River. Rescue 3 with a crew of four located the boat with four aboard and towed it to the owner’s dock. Time on call, 1 hour
December 13: At 2pm the neighbor of a Sea Rescue member called to report the engine on his 25’ Sport Craft walk-around had failed and he was adrift in the mouth of Cod Creek off the Potomac. The member called the Sea Rescue duty captain and the two men launched a personal vessel and were able to tow the disabled boat with six aboard into a neighborhood ramp. Time on call, 2 hours
The members of Smith Point Sea Rescue would like to remind readers of a saying heard from watermen at this time of year, “If you go into the water now, you are not coming back.” Please be extremely careful boating or even walking out on a dock, until spring warms our waters.
Smith Point Sea Rescue is a totally volunteer rescue unit which serves boaters from Coles Point to the mouth of the Potomac River, south to the Rappahannock River and across the Bay to the eastern shore. The organization receives no governmental monetary support and depends solely on donations to fund their operations.
Smith Point Sea Rescue does not charge for its services and can be reached on VHF channel 16 or by calling 911. Rescue 1 is based in Reedville, Rescue 2 on Lodge Creek near Callao, and Rescue 3 at Smith Point.
