Heroic Coast Guard Rescue: Family Saved After Ship Catches Fire During Sleep

In a dramatic turn of events, a family of three was rescued from a private island off the coast of Massachusetts after their boat caught fire and sank. The family’s ordeal came to light when their marine radio washed ashore, prompting a rescue operation.

Tyler Sullivan was able to send a distress signal early Wednesday morning. “Mayday, mayday, mayday! Our ship went down in Tarpaulin’s Cove!” he urgently informed a Coast Guard dispatcher. He recounted the harrowing experience of waking up to find their boat ablaze and narrowly escaping its fiery demise.

The Sullivans had embarked on their journey from Falmouth on Friday, intending to return by Tuesday after enjoying a weekend anchored near Naushon Island. However, when they didn’t return as planned, a concerned relative reached out to authorities on Tuesday night. This triggered a coordinated search effort involving the Falmouth police and Harbormaster.

Audio recordings from the incident, available via Broadcastify.com, reveal a Coast Guard dispatcher inquiring about Sullivan’s parents’ health and their ability to move, highlighting the urgency of their situation. In the mayday communications released by the Coast Guard, Sullivan detailed their predicament and the unfortunate fate of their boat.

“The vessel has sunk, and we are in the farmhouse,” Sullivan reported, marking the end of their harrowing maritime journey and the beginning of a rescue mission that would save their lives.

Soon after, the family was rescued by a Coast Guard helicopter and flown to an area hospital. Sullivan’s brother, Christopher, told WCVB-TV that his mother was in critical but stable condition.

“Quick thinking and having quality equipment allowed the family to survive and call for help,” Scott Backholm, a search and rescue mission coordinator from Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England said in a statement.

Naushon Island, part of the Elizabeth Islands, is owned by the Forbes family but has several coves that are open to the public, according to a company that offers tourist excursions to the islands.