On Sunday, four sailors were out on a 52-foot sailboat about 100 miles away from New York’s Long Island when they encountered a life-or-death situation.
Rough water and huge waves threatened the craft until an especially large wave crashed over the boat, knocking off the mast and leaving the boat disabled.
In the process, all four aboard the boat were injured and needed rescue, so a helicopter with the Cape Cod Coast Guard set out in their direction.
“On the evening of May 8, ASCC was dispatched to the scene of a disabled sailing vessel 100NM south of Long Island Sound,” the U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod shared on Facebook, along with stunning footage of the rescue.
“Upon arrival, it was discovered that the vessel had been de-masted by a rogue wave, injuring all four crew members.
“Battling heavy seas and challenging hoisting conditions, our MH-60T crew effectively rescued all four individuals. Here is the footage to tell the tale!”
Sunday, @USCG MH-60 helo crew conducted a #medevac for 4 crewmembers on the 39-foot sailing vessel, Calypso. The crew was 80 miles south of Montauk, NY with only texting capabilities and an EPIRB.
The 4 men were brought safely to shore and transported for medical attention pic.twitter.com/vcj6TRjUpf— USCGNortheast (@USCGNortheast) May 10, 2022
Because all the sailors on board were hurt, one of the crew members on the helicopter was lowered down and it was up to him to secure them.
Video footage of the rescue shows the boat jolting, tossed on the rough sea as the sun sank, making the work even more difficult.
“Hours worth of hoisting while, while we were on scene,” Lieutenant Commander Daniel Reilly told WBZ-TV.
“It was a lot of effort on the rescue swimmer’s part to make sure that all of those patients were ready to go.”
“This was probably the best example of crew coordination and teamwork in any rescue I’ve been a part of in the coast guard,” Lt. Nick Zablotny added.
Air Station Cape Cod MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew after landing in Gabreski, NY, Sunday, transporting Calypso crewmembers to safety and higher level of medical care. pic.twitter.com/PD3dVjZ0Ex
— USCGNortheast (@USCGNortheast) May 10, 2022
The USCGNortheast Twitter account shared a snap of the four coast guard heroes who put their lives on the line to rescue the sailors.
“Air Station Cape Cod MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew after landing in Gabreski, NY, Sunday, transporting Calypso crewmembers to safety and higher level of medical care,” the tweet stated.
It took hours for them to complete their mission — but they did it, and all four sailors made it to safety and are expected to make full recoveries.
