U.S. Coast Guard crews faced “near hurricane force winds” as they rescued a father-son team who were stranded at sea after a powerful winter storm ripped their ship's sails.
The First Coast Guard District command center in Boston contacted the men by satellite phone after receiving an alert beacon signal from the Sedona at about 4:50 a.m. Sunday.
The 43-foot vessel lost power approximately 150 miles south of Nantucket, Massachusetts.
A MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew was launched from a Coast Guard Air Station in Cape Cod and reached the Sedona about four hours later, officials said. Arriving crews found the disabled yacht adrift in 25-foot seas.
In winds of nearly 60 mph, the two men were hoisted to safety. Blizzard conditions and high winds have battered New England all weekend.
“Given the severity of this storm, this rescue was a major effort and we are all relieved it ended as it did,” said Lt. J.G. Tyler Dewechter, a Coast Guard spokesman. “We are glad we were prepared for this storm and could render aid.”
The man and his son were taken to the Air Station in Cape Cod and transported for a medical evaluation, according to authorities. No injuries were reported.