Coast Guard rescues mother, son, dog near Wrightsville Beach

WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH, NC (WWAY) — Two people and their dog were rescued by the Coast Guard Tuesday after their boat started taking on water northeast of Wrightsville Beach.

According to a release, watchstanders at the Sector North Carolina Command Center in Wilmington received a phone call from a mother and son on a 19-foot Carolina Skiff around 12:28 p.m., saying they were about two miles east of the New Topsail Inlet and their boat was taking on water.

The Coast Guard launced a 45-foot Response Boat and medium crew from Station Wrightsville Beach around 12:35 p.m., but had difficulty locating the boat because they did not have VHF-marine radio contact or an exact location.

Officials say the boat was found by 3:58 p.m. six miles east of New Topsail Inlet. The Coast Guard took the mother, son, and dog aboard the RB-M and brought them to the Station Wrighstville Beach in good condition after 7 p.m.. A SeaTow crew towed the skiff to Wilmington.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Scott Hafner, a crewman involved in the case says, “With no radio to call for help and no GPS on board, these mariners were depending solely on a cell phone. When a call goes out over VHF-marine radio on Channel 16, we are able to determine a vessel’s location, but not with cell phone. The Coast Guard can’t stress enough the importance of having proper communication, navigation and life saving equipment on board. Even if you don’t plan on going far from shore, if your engine quits or something unexpected happens, you can find yourself in trouble very suddenly.”