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NORWALK, Conn. – A "multiagency effort" kept a 34-foot motor yacht from sinking off a Westport Island on Friday evening, Norwalk Fire Deputy Chief Edward Prescott said.
Two people were rescued from the boat. The efforts also kept 100 gallons of diesel fuel from spilling into the harbor, while preventing the boat from becoming an obstacle to navigation.
The Old School hit the shoals off the eastern end of Cockenoe Island, just over the Norwalk border, and issued a Mayday at 4:30 p.m., Prescott said. The Westport Police Department's Marine Division was first on the scene and set to work with a pump to get the water out of the boat, Prescott said.
Three pumps were used to keep the boat afloat, including one from the Norwalk Fire Department and one from the salvage and sea towing company Sea Tow. Darien Marine Police also assisted.
It was towed to Cove Marina in East Norwalk, where workers hoisted it in a sling to get it out of the water.
The water never got too high in the boat, a Sea Tow worker said. It was 4 inches above the carpet in the bow and just touching the pans in the engine compartment.
The Westport Marine Division was investigating.
Updated at 11:07 p.m.
Comments (3)
Right now Our Norwalk police marine unit has responded in one of their craft large enough to transport 4 people caught in the storm off the coast.This simply shows how important the Norwalk police marine unit is to the city and the safety of our boating community.
agreed the police marine units have the best boats to serve the community,and staff is outstanding.
When the fire dept leaves the dock and its the East Norwalk station that does most of the running who is left in that part of the city to respond.Its a poor set up the fire dept has and its problems been said in the past if the bridge is up and the highway is just crawling those at the beach are basically unprotected from a fast truck response.
two weeks ago the press covered a story that in East Norwalk and the fire dept was at the dock ready to go boating,didn't hear the call ,needless to say they responded from vets park back into the heart of East Norwalk.
New boat coming means more men needed I trust not,taking care of the land first should be Norwalks first priority we have a great police marine unit and dive team don't we?
Lets not be like Stamford where Oyster bay NY was the first at a recent accident in Stamford they have boats like Norwalk police marine units.
This is where the city should be told residents expect coverage before they are committed along the coast and with the new fireboat comes new rules dictated by the Feds thats why we got the free boat,but at a cost never discussed to the taxpayers.This is why some departments in Ct said no to a half a million dollar free boat they couldn't afford it.
Lets leave those who have a proven record of saving lives the Norwalk police unit rocks and deserve our support.Not only do they respond but are responsible of law enforcemnet along our coast and islands.give them the new fore boat all the pr in the world won't change what Norwalk needs.
Lucky nobody was injured. That reef has been there a long time. I am always amazed when somebody runs up on it. That boat took a lot of damage. We don't really appreciate what the local police marine units do until there is a real emergency like this. The Norwalk Fire boat was one of the first on the scene and it took the combined efforts of several agencies to keep the boat from sinking. Great job by all.