Australia-Bound Sailors Rescued At Sea During Blizzard
SANDWICH (CBS) -- A father and son who had set sail for Australia had to be pulled from the water by the Coast Guard during Sunday's fierce blizzard.
The adult son and his father, both Australian citizens, were rescued by Coast Guard members from a helicopter 140 miles southeast of Nantucket. The sailors called for help just before 5 a.m. when their 43-foot sailboat lost power and had its sails torn in the storm, Petty Ofc. LaNola Stone said.
The Coast Guard Jayhawk helicopter, launched before the storm became too bad, reached the vessel at about 9 a.m. It took about two hours to recover the men, as rescuers battled 60 mph winds and 25-foot seas.
Stone said the father and son purchased the "Sedona" on eBay. They left for Australia from Rhode Island on Friday, she said.
No one was injured in the rescue, but the men were hospitalized to be evaluated for hypothermia.
The Australian consulate has been alerted, Stone said.