Four people and dog rescued from boat ‘moments’ before it sank, Coast Guard says

Four people and a dog were rescued from a sinking boat just before it capsized off the coast of New Jersey, officials said.

The 30-foot pleasure boat began taking on water, possibly because of a loose plug, while in Barnegat Bay on Aug. 27.

Around that time, the crew aboard a Coast Guard vessel spotted the foundering boat and rushed to help, according to a Coast Guard news release.

They safely transferred the four people along with their dog onto the Coast Guard boat without a minute to spare.

“The recreational boat capsized moments after completing the personnel transfer,” officials said.

The people were then ferried to Lanoka Harbor, New Jersey, where a salvage company towed their capsized boat.

“The timing of this rescue was fortunate,” James Corbisiero, the commanding officer of Coast Guard Station Barnegat Light, said in the release. “I commend the Coast Guard boat crew’s attentiveness and fast actions to aid these people and their dog.”

Barnegat Bay is about 85 miles south of New York City.

This story was originally published August 29, 2023 at 5:54 PM with the headline "Four people and dog rescued from boat ‘moments’ before it sank, Coast Guard says."