Coast Guard assists fishing vessel taking on water near Ocracoke Island

Coast Guard assists fishing vessel
taking on water near Ocracoke Island

The Coast Guard came to the aid of a boat taking on water off Ocracoke Island Tuesday.

Watchstanders in the Sector North Carolina Command Center in Wilmington received notification that the 72-foot fishing vessel Capt. Jimmy was taking on water in Pamlico Sound near Bluff Shoal Light at about 3:30 a.m.

Two 47-foot Motor Lifeboat crews from Station Hatteras Inlet arrived on scene and passed dewatering pumps and personnel to the fishing boat to assist. The dewatering pumps helped keep up with the flooding while one of the Hatteras Inlet crews escorted the Capt. Jimmy south to the Neuse River entrance, where a 29-foot Response Boat-Small crew from Station Fort Macon took over the escort.

The Fort Macon crew escorted the Capt. Jimmy crew to their homeport in Beaufort.

“Thanks to the fast response of Hatteras Inlet crews, combined with the cooperation of our crew and watchstanders in the Sector North Carolina Command Center, we were able to make sure the fishing vessel made it back to Beaufort,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Tyler McGregor, Station Fort Macon coxswain for the case.