Coast Guard rescues 2 hunters, 2 dogs near Merrimon, NC

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The Coast Guard rescued two duck hunters and two dogs Saturday after their boat ran out of fuel.

Watchstanders at Coast Guard Station Hobucken received a call from 911 dispatchers around 4:30 p.m. about two men in a 17-foot boat, low on fuel near Turnagain Bay.

Station Hobucken notified watchstanders in the Sector North Carolina Command Center in Wilmington, who then issued an urgent marine information broadcast.

A Station Hobucken crew found the hunters around 5:45 p.m. on a beach in Turnagain Bay. The crew spotted one of the men waving a paddle with a sweater tied to the end.

Both men and their two dogs were rescued and brought to the Cedar Island Ferry Terminal.

“The two men were smart to use their cell phone to call 911 and were able to indicate their location before their phone ran out of battery life,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Jc Tyus. “All mariners are reminded to conduct checks of their vessels prior to heading out. Double checking is an easy way to avoid problems out on the water.”