Sailor escapes boat engulfed in flames on dingy miles off Virginia coast, rescuers say

A sailor jumped ship when his sailboat caught on fire 60 miles off the coast of Virginia, rescuers said.

The 58-year-old man issued a distress call for his 45-foot sailboat, Trilogy, at about 8:30 p.m. May 23, according to a news release from the Coast Guard.

An airplane and helicopter crew quickly took off from Elizabeth City, North Carolina, and headed in the direction of the emergency beacon, officials said.

About two hours after the call came in, the airplane crew spotted a man on a dingy, near the sailboat engulfed in flames, the Coast Guard reported.

When the helicopter crew arrived at about 10:50 p.m., they airlifted the man from his life raft to a hospital with no major injuries, officials said.

The mariner had taken several recommended safety measures, including having an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon onboard, a float plan established with a family member and a waterproof immersion suit.

“All these actions and planning for a maritime emergency helped save his life,” rescue operations unit controller Lt. j.g. Erin Bellen said in the release.

The man was found off the coast of Chincoteague, about a 105-mile drive northeast from Virginia Beach.

This story was originally published May 24, 2024 at 6:28 PM with the headline "Sailor escapes boat engulfed in flames on dingy miles off Virginia coast, rescuers say."