Five Coast Guardsmen were rescued from a submerged 25-foot response boat on Wednesday during a training exercise 10 miles south of Noman’s Land. The Coast Guard said one of the men suffered an ankle injury while another was treated for hypothermia. They were transported quickly to Menemsha where they were met by paramedics, according to Coast Guard spokesman James Rhodes.
The accident occurred at 11:31 a.m. Seas were three to four feet high. A number of boats were involved in the training exercise.
Petty Officer Rhodes said the training exercise was being conducted by the Port Security Unit 301 of Cape Cod; the accident is under investigation.
A 25-foot boat from Menemsha also responded to the scene and awaited the arrival of the Cutter Jefferson Island.
The submerged boat was removed from the water by the crew of the 225-foot Coast Guard Cutter Willow, a buoy tender from Rhode Island.
“Unfortunately, events like these remind us of the risks associated with Coast Guard training and operations,” said Rear Adm. Tom Atkin, Commander of U.S. Deployable Operations Group. “Our teams are trained to operate as safely and efficiently as possible, mitigating risk whenever possible. We will look into this case thoroughly for the benefit of those involved and for all those Guardians operating around the globe.”
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