Stranded in rough water with a broken mast, firefighters rescue him and his kitten

A man and his kitten, stranded offshore near Georgetown County, were saved when Midway Fire Rescue crews rescued him from a broken boat and battering seas early Tuesday morning.

The man, anchored about 400 yards off Litchfield Beach, used his cellphone to call 911 as he experienced motor problems and combated a broken mast on his sailboat, according to Doug Eggiman, Chief of Midway Fire Rescue, who said rough surf was also an obstacle.

Eggiman said they don’t typically get involved in night time rescue operations, but the man wasn’t too far from shore when he called about 4 a.m.

The U.S. Coast Guard was contacted, along with S.C. Department of Natural Resources, but Midway crews were able to recover the man and his kitten by deploying an inflatable raft, Eggiman said.

The man was taken to a nearby hospital for evaluation after being struck in the face by an out-of-control mast. A first responder was also transported to the hospital after suffering a shoulder injury during the rescue, Eggiman said.

There was no word on an update on their conditions later Tuesday morning.

This story was originally published November 14, 2017 at 7:49 AM with the headline "Stranded in rough water with a broken mast, firefighters rescue him and his kitten."