[dropcap]I[/dropcap]t has been a few exciting weeks for Sea Tow Crystal Coast, but it is like any other day if you ask the captains. Owner Capt. Salvatore Cody Catapano tells us, “It’s all in a day’s work!”
On April 22, Sea Tow Crystal Coast received a call from a Good Samaritan via land line about a vessel in the breakers of the Shark Island shoals with six people aboard. Shark Island is a small island at low tide and at high tide has breaking shoals.
So what happened next is second nature to Sea Tow Captains…they sprang into action. Sea Tow arrived on scene at 2:10 pm with Capt. Corbett Johnson and Capt. Stewart Jones, and moments later Capt. Catapano was on scene with a second Sea Tow Vessel. After a talk with a National Park Service vessel from Cape Lookout, an attempt was made to turn the vessel with its bow to the waves. The vessel was filled with sand, so it was unsuccessful on the first try.
At this time, Capt. Catapano took Capt. Corbett to the shore to check for any injuries among the vessel’s passengers. Fortunately all six boaters were in good health. The first Sea Tow vessel came back into the surf to attempt to retrieve the people.
With three captains and two boats on scene, and after three attempts, Capt. Catapano was able to get the last three people on board, when the Sea Tow vessel got swamped. Capt. Cody was able to turn the bow to the breakers and get away from the shoals.
Once all the people were safely on board the National Park Service vessel, air bags were attached to the vessel in the surf and inflated. Sea Tow 5 then hooked onto the vessel and removed it from the breakers. Then the Sea Tow vessel went back into the shoals to get Capt. Corbett off Shark Island. The boater’s vessel was towed partially submerged to Beaufort Inlet.
It was emergency-hauled at Shepard’s Point Boat Company (also known as Russell’s) which was safely done and completed by 5 pm.
All in a day’s work for a Sea Tow captain! And it’s always good to know that Sea Tow is standing by when you need them–24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year!