The U.S. Coast Guard and a Good Samaritan rescued two men about eight miles east of Barnegat Light this morning, after their power boat capsized in heavy seas, Petty Officer Second Class Andrew Groth said.
"They are fine, other than the obvious, being cold and miserable," Groth said.
The Coast Guard received a "mayday" call from the 31-foot Fountain powerboat at 7:57 a.m., he said.
The seas were running three to four feet and winds were out of the northeast at 15 to 20 knots when the boat went down, Groth said.
The capsized boat’s captain reported his boat was hit by a series of waves, and the bilge pump was unable to keep up with the flooding," he said.
The Coast Guard dispatched two 47-foot motor lifeboats to the scene and found that one of the men had already been pulled out of the water by a crew member on the Jamaica II, he said.
"We had a Good Samaritan out there,"Groth said. "One of our boats pulled the other individual out of the water."
One of the Coast Guard boats had a small fire in the engine room on the way back and had to be towed in, he said.
The two men - whose names have not been released - were treated at the scene by emergency medical personnel, Groth said.
"Having and knowing how to properly use a radio saved their lives," he said. "Had they not been able to send out their position, their lack of life jackets could have been devastating. Always wear a life jacket, and have life rings readily available for worst case scenarios."
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