Oct 29, 2009 7:55 pm US/Eastern
Missing Fishermen Rescued Off Cape Cod Coast
Crew Survived Hours In Frigid Water, Thanks To Survival Suits
SANDWICH (WBZ) ―
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Christopher Merl holds up the survival suit that saved his life.
WBZ
The two fishermen whose boat sank off the coast of Cape Cod Wednesday afternoon survived hours in frigid water, thanks to their survival suits.
The crew of the 36-foot fishing boat
Carol and Allison from Wellfleet used a cell phone to make a distress call around 4 p.m. At the time, they were located about eight miles offshore.
Several hours into an intense search, police spotted debris from the boat along the shoreline in Sandwich.
Christopher Merl, 39, and Matthew Gregory, 18 were located near that debris by a Coast Guard helicopter around 9 p.m. By the time they were found, they were just 50 yards offshore of Springhill Beach in Sandwich.
The pair was hoisted into the chopper and taken to Air Station Cape Cod where they were found to be in good health and refused medical treatment.
Merl and Gregory were not wearing life jackets, but they did have cold water survival suits on.
"If I didn't have this, I probably would be dead now," Merl said as he held his survival suit.
"With the cooler air and water temperatures this time of year we highly recommend anyone on the water to wear a survival suit," said Petty Officer 1st Class Seven Kent. 'This is a perfect example of how they can save your life."
The fishermen had to contend with 4 to 6-foot seas and 52-degree water.
There were plenty of tense times during the 5-hour ordeal.
"At one point we cracked our glow lights and the copter passed over us... made me a little nervous," said Christopher.
"My hear sank, could hardly catch my breath, my heart was beating out of my chest," said Christopher's fiancee, Denise LaPierre.
The crew of the
Carol and Allison said they were en route to the Cape Cod Canal when their boat sank. It is unclear at this time what caused the accident.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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