A fishing boat caught fire on Sunday night about 105 miles east of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, forcing the crew to abandon the vessel and take to a life raft, the U.S. Coast Guard said in a statement.
Six people were aboard the 81-foot trawler Three Girls at the time of the fire, which broke out at about 8:56 p.m., the Coast Guard said. The Three Girls had four crew members, the captain, and a NOAA observer onboard. All six survivors were recovered from the life raft by the William Chadwick fast response cutter, which arrived at the scene alongside the Princess Laura, a sister ship. No major injuries were reported, the Coast Guard said.
“I couldn’t be prouder of our crew’s swift response in this rescue,” said Lt. Cmdr. Brent Lane, the commanding officer of the William Chadwick. “Their dedication and skill were crucial to the successful outcome, but it’s also a stark reminder of the importance of having the right safety equipment at all times. This rescue highlights that preparation and proper gear are as vital as the bravery and professionalism our team consistently displays.”
The Coast Guard said it received a mayday call from the Three Girls shortly after 8:56 p.m., stating that the vessel was on fire and they were preparing to abandon ship. The trawler was equipped with a radio beacon that alerted the Coast Guard to the emergency.
Timeline Of Events
The U.S. Coast Guard provided the following timeline of events;
At 8:56 p.m., Coast Guard Sector Northern New England command center watchstanders received a mayday call from the Three Girls stating that the vessel was on fire and they were making preparations to abandon ship. The First Coast Guard District command center also received an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon from the vessel.
At 9 p.m., Sector Northern New England diverted USCGC William Chadwick (WPC — 1150), a fast response cutter, to respond. An MH-60 Jayhawk aircrew and a HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircrew from Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod were launched to provide aerial support.
At 10:30 p.m., all Coast Guard assets along with the Three Girl’s sister ship, fishing vessel Princess Laura, arrived on scene and confirmed that all six people were onboard a life raft. The William Chadwick launched their small boat to recover the survivors while the MH-60 Jayhawk waited on standby if immediate medical care was needed.
At 11:30 p.m., all six survivors were recovered onboard the William Chadwick. No major injuries reported.
On Monday morning, the crew of the William Chadwick transferred the survivors to a pier in South Portland.
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) assisted a What’sUpNewp journalist with the reporting included in this story.
