Coast Guard Rescues Three New London Fishermen After Their Boat Catches Fire
By Martha Shanahan
The Day
March 20, 2016
Crew members from the U.S. Coast Guard Station New London rescued three New London fishermen from an area south of Fishers Island Sunday morning after their boat caught fire.
The father of one of the three crewmembers of the Long Shot, a 50-foot liner stationed in New London, called the Coast Guard from shore about 6:45 a.m. Sunday to tell them the boat had caught fire on Cerberus Shoal, located about halfway between Fishers Island and Montauk.
Coast Guard boats from the Montauk and New London Coast Guard stations responded. All three crewmembers had abandoned ship and boarded a life raft by the time rescuers arrived at 7:15 a.m., according to a news release from the Coast Guard.
A helicopter from Air Station Cape Cod also responded.
The boat sank an hour later, according to a Coast Guard spokesperson.
The fishermen were not injured, and all three were wearing survival gear and lifejackets when the Coast Guard crews arrived. The names of the fishermen were not available.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, according to the Coast Guard.