Date: August 18, 2008

Contact: Petty Officer Matthew Schofield
(216) 902-6020 office
(216) 310-2608 cell

Coast Guard rescues man after 12 hours in water near Fox River 

GREEN BAY, Wisc. --  The U.S. Coast Guard rescued a 56-year-old male from Lake Michigan near the entrance of the Fox River here Monday at approximately 2 a.m.

A Good Samaritan reported an unmanned and adrift 23-foot sailing vessel Sunday at approximately 8:15 p.m. The man's wife called 911 to report him missing at approximately 8:30 p.m., Sunday.  The call was relayed from Brown County Dispatch to the Coast Guard. 

A Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City HH-65C Dolphin helicopter, a Coast Guard Station Green Bay 25-foot response boat and a Coast Guard Station Sturgeon Bay 25-foot response boat were launched to find the missing male. Additional assets included the Eagle III County Rescue Services helicopter, two Brown County Sheriff's boats, two Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources boats and the Green Bay Fire Boat.   

The helicopter crew located the man in the water with the use of night-vision goggles. 

"Aviation Survival Technician 3rd Class Chris Bemis (a rescue swimmer) spotted him waving his arms halfway through the second sortie, then Aviation Maintenance Technician 3rd Class James Demerest (a flight mechanic) and he worked together to hoist him out of the water,"  said Cmdr. Keith Overstreet, the Air Station's executive officer. "He was cold and the rescue swimmer attended to him."

The man was transported to Austin Straubel International Airport where the helicopter was met by Ashwaubenon Rescue, who transported him to St. Vincent Hospital. 

The man who was rescued said that he had been knocked off his boat by an object on-board while the motor was running and the sails lowered, which resulted in the boat continuing on its underway path and out of reach. He had no personal flotation device on him, and he survived by floating and swimming.

Boating laws require boaters to have a life-jacket for all people on board their boat.  The Coast Guard recommends operators and passengers go one step further and wear life-jackets at all times.

For further information or to obtain a copy of the rescue video contact Petty Officer Matthew Schofield, Ninth Coast Guard District Public Affairs, at (216) 902-6020. 

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