Coast Guard Rescues Father and Son off the Maine Coast.

In a press release issued late this afternoon, the Public Affairs Office of the USCG First District gave details of a rescue made today of a father and son crew, 20 miles south of Southwest Harbor, Maine.

The 40 foot lobster boat, the Midnight, out of Southwest Harbor Maine, caught fire and sank around 9 am today. The two man crew sought refuge in their life raft and attempted to call for help, using a cell phone on board the life raft. After drifting for appoximately two hours, they were finally able to communicate their situation.

They Coast Guard dispatched a Falcon jet and a Jayhawk helicopter, from Air Station Cape Cod, as well as a 41 foot and 47 foot boat crew from Coast Guard Station Southwest Harbor. Additionally, the Cutter Moray was diverted from its regular patrol to the scene.

Reduced visibility at the scene, near Mount Harbor Rock, made the search all the more difficult. Finally, around 2pm, the crew of the 47 foot boat located the two men and pulled them to safety.

Beside the cell phone, the crew of the Midnight used whistles to help pinpoint their location to their rescuers in the reduced visiblity.