A US Coast Guard helicopter crew from Air Station Cape Cod rescued four people Sunday eveningfrom a sailing vessel that was damaged by rough seas, officials said.
The MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew located the disabled vessel, Calypso, off the coast of Long Island, New York, about 80 nautical miles south of Montauk, Coast Guard officials said.
“Upon arrival, it was discovered that the vessel had been de-masted by a rogue wave, injuring all four crew-members,” officials wrote on Air Station Cape Cod’s Facebook page. “Battling heavy seas and challenging hoisting conditions, our MH-60T crew effectively rescued all four individuals.”
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The 39-foot sailing vessel was on a voyage from Bermuda to Connecticut when it ran into trouble due to heavy sea conditions, officials said.
“There were 16 to 17 foot waves out there at the time,” Petty Officer Briana Carter, a Coast Guard spokeswoman, said in a phone interview. “It was pretty heavy weather.”
Coast Guard officials tweeted that the crew of the Calypso had no means of communication besides texting and an EPIRB, which is an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon.
The helicopter crew from Air Station Cape Cod rescued the four men from the Calypso and brought them safely to shore in Gabreski, N.Y. so they could receive medical attention, officials said.
US Coast Guard officials shared video footage of the rescue on social media.
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
Emily Sweeney can be reached at emily.sweeney@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @emilysweeney and on Instagram @emilysweeney22.