The Coast Guard rescued a 36-year-old man on Tuesday morning, 2/21, after his 10-foot aluminum boat capsized in Nantucket Sound.
The man’s girlfriend notified the Coast Guard at around 1:20 a.m. that he had not returned home after venturing out on the Bass River earlier in the day.
A 42-foot rescue boat crew from Coast Guard Station Chatham launched at around 2 a.m. to search for the man and was joined by an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew at around 3 a.m.
In addition to the Coast Guard assets, the Harwich harbormaster, Yarmouth harbormaster, Dennis harbormaster, Yarmouth fire department, and Hyannis fire department responded and searched.
At around 4 a.m., the Jayhawk helicopter crew located the man clinging to the hull of his capsized boat approximately two and a half miles southwest of the Bass River in Nantucket Sound wearing a life jacket, shirt, jeans and sneakers.
The 42-foot rescue boat crew from Station Chatham pulled him from the 37-degree water and brought him to the pier where emergency medical services was waiting.
“I cannot stress enough the importance of checking the water temperature before going on the water in the winter months,” said Operations Specialist Second Class Michelle Crocker, of Sector Southeastern New England. “Additionally, the support provided by our interagency partners from the Cape Cod Mutual Response System ensured the successful outcome of this overdue case.”
Media outlets identified the man as Arthur Moscufo of Medford. He said the aluminum boat he had just bought took on water and capsized. He was able to climb on top and was adrift for 13 hours. The man suffered from hypothermia, but is doing okay.
Watch USCG video of the rescue at https://www.dvidshub.net/video/ 510670/coast-guard-rescues-man-clinging-capsized-boat-nantucket-sound
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