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MOUNT DESERT ROCK—Students from the College of the Atlantic (COA) helped save two fisherman whose fishing vessel caught fire this morning in the vicinity of Mount Desert Rock.
“At approximately 9:15 a.m., Station Southwest Harbor received a mayday call on Channel 16 reporting a fishing vessel on fire with two persons on board,” the United States Coast Guard (USCG) said.
The boat was approximately 18 miles off shore when the mayday call occurred. The Coast Guard has not released the name of the boat or the name of the people on it.
“Members of the COA Edward McC. Blair Marine Research Station on Mount Desert Rock station observed a nearby lobster boat with smoke coming from the cabin. The station also monitored VHF radio transmissions to the United States Coast Guard from the vessel in distress. The initial observation soon turned into visible flames,” College of the Atlantic Dean of Communications Rob Levin said.
The group on the island rushed into action.
“Three of the station crew launched a boat to assist while others maintained visible contact and also made contact with the USCG,” Levin said. “Station crew members soon located the crew, who were already in the water.”
Speaking for the college, Levin continued, ”The fishing vessel crew were pulled aboard the launch and transported back to the island. On the way back to the island, the crew passed another vessel and requested that they update the USGC.
“Once on the island, MDR (Mount Desert Rock) crew members treated minor injuries, gave the crew dry clothes, made contact with the families of the affected crew, and awaited a USCG rescue vessel.”
At close to 10:30 a.m., the fishing vessel crew went onto the United States Coast Guard vessel. When the lifeboat met up with the College of the Atlantic students and the fishermen, Coast Guard members brought the fishermen onto the lifeboat and back to their family members who were waiting at the Southwest Harbor Coast Guard Station.
“College of the Atlantic is extremely proud of the life saving efforts of our students currently stationed at Mount Desert Rock. We offer our condolences to the fishing crew on the loss of their vessel,” Levin said.
“The duty SAR (search and rescue) crew swiftly responded on board the motor lifeboat 47311. While en route, the two fishermen had abandoned their boat and were recovered by members of the College of the Atlantic who were conducting research on Mount Desert Rock,” the Coast Guard reported.
The Southwest Harbor-Tremont Ambulance crew checked everyone as well.
Mount Desert Rock hosts the Edward McC. Blair Marine Research Station.
According to the college’s website, “In cooperation with the US Coast Guard, Allied Whale, the marine mammal research division of College of the Atlantic, seasonally occupied Mount Desert Rock for several decades. Mount Desert Rock became the base of summer operations for Allied Whale, and provided a foundation for important studies such as the development of photo-identification techniques for humpback and finback whales. In the mid 1990s, occupation of the island ceased as the US Coast Guard reviewed the need for Mount Desert Rock as part of the network of lighthouses off the coast of Maine. In 1996, College of the Atlantic acquired the island from the US Coast Guard.”
We’ll be updating this article as we receive more information.
This post was updated at 5:36, July 24, with information from Rob Levin of COA.
The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Rick Osann Art.
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