[Rosco]

Coast Guard Rescues Man After His Boat Sinks Near Point Lookout

POINT LOOKOUT - 12/31/2008

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The Coast Guard rescued a man after his boat sank near Point Lookout, Wednesday, Dec. 31.

Rescued was Ted Kalandras.

Kalandras, using a marine band radio, notified the Coast Guard at 10:35 a.m. that his 24-foot boat was taking on water. Coast Guard Station St. Inigoes, Md., launched a rescue boatcrew and Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City, N.J., diverted a rescue helicopter crew to the scene.

The rescue boatcrew arrived first and removed Kalandras, who was wearing a life jacket, from the water where he was clinging to the hull of his overturned boat. The rescue aircrew then hoisted Kalandras aboard the helicopter and transported him to St. Mary's Hospital.

"Mr. Kalandras did everything right," said Petty Officer 1st Class James Potter, a search and rescue coordinator at Coast Guard Sector Baltimore. "He called in his mayday on a marine band radio and gave us his location. This helped us expedite our rescue efforts. He was also wearing a life jacket when we got to him. With a water temperature at about 41 degrees, every second counts," he said.

The Coast Guard urges all mariners to have a marine band radio onboard their boats to communicate with rescue coordinators in the event of an emergency.

 

[iFishMD]

He did everything right???? He was out in a GALE WARNING!!!!! at 10:30 am The winds were over blowing a sustained over 40mph. What was he doing out?

 

[Echo]

He just wanted one more fish..... LOL People can be so stupid...

 

[aafinest]

I was thinking the same thing. Not a day to be out, but with water temp at 41 degrees the Coasties must have got there pretty quick unless he was wearing a suit. Either way he was one lucky guy. Glad he survived !!!

 

[JimRockfish]

He did everything right???? He was out in a GALE WARNING!!!!! at 10:30 am The winds were over blowing a sustained over 40mph. What was he doing out?

Must have needed the insurance money. What some guys will do.

 

[NachoLibre]

They just ran a quick story on this on Channel 7 News. They showed some aerial video and the Coast Guard boat was really rockin' and rollin'! I have a 24' boat and can't even image being out in conditions like today's. I guess he couldn't resist after reading all the great reports out of PLO in the last week.

 

[Echo]

Coast Guard was busy today, here's another:
Coast Guard rescues 3 from trawler in Oregon Inlet in N.C. | HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com

 

[bookerreese]

like JW said, Life is tough , but its tougher when you are stupid!!!!

 

[bring_em_on]

like JW said, Like is tough , but its tougher when you are stupid!!!!

My favorite is "Life is tough....after all, it kills you"....

 

[jwas1]

People who go out in those conditions should have to make some sort of payment to the Coast Guard. I know it is their job to rescue those in distress, but it is one thing to rescue those who make their living on the water and another for someone who voluntarily goes out to get one last rockfish in extreme conditions.

 

[crabby and son]

Stupid is as stupid does and you can't fix stupid.............it's a shame to put the rescue workers in danger though..............Gary

 

[Doggydaddy]

We trailered our boat home over the bridge yesterday, not the best day to bring it home & saw a boat north of the bridge, it looked like the waves we're at least six foot can't imagine being out on the water in Gale winds.

 

[goose70]

He did everything right???? He was out in a GALE WARNING!!!!! at 10:30 am The winds were over blowing a sustained over 40mph. What was he doing out in anything other than a Judge with an enclosed cabin and heater?

Fixed it for you...

 

[27 sailfish]

I wonder if he went out early just before the winds came up and then had a brutal ride back into the NW wind.

The guy owes the Coast Guard a huge thank you - no one else was out there to save him on such a rough day.41* water will kill most people in 1-2 hours - one lucky guy to be saved in time.

 

[WHACKMASTER]

That guy was a dumba$$, he had no business being out. The rest of us were smart enough to stay in.

Jeff

 

[joemassi]

I went to the marina yesterday around noon. The conditions were not that bad at the marina. They were down right nice at the mouth of the West River. The mouth of the South River was a whole different story, and once you got 200 yards away from land coming out of the West the waves were white capped and over three feet. I could imagine that if the tide were coming in instead of going out, there would have been a whole different story at the mouth of the West River.

 

[topfish1]

I wonder if he went out early just before the winds came up and then had a brutal ride back into the NW wind.

I would agree:thumbup:

Very early yesterday morning things were not bad down this way, but things turned bad quick yesterday morning. I know some that were on the water very early yesterday without trouble, but they were in before 830am.

 

[AIK68J]

 

[N3NFX]

The Volunteers from one of the two local fire departments dispatched were smart and declined due to weather conditions. The USCG sent a 41 footer from St. Inigoes to the scene...Not sure if they were even able to make it there, thus the need to aerial support. Last I had heard was CG lost comms with the party and assumed the vessel was sunk. Then the Helo from Jersey requested hospital information, thankfully it was for a good cause.

This was one of at least three boat in distress calls that came at roughly the same time. One with three soles onboard a skiff over on the eastern shore, I forget which river that was. These guys were rescued by a local waterman. The PtLO call, and yet another one in St Jeromes creek, the volunteers from Ridge VFD already in the water for the PtLO call ended up going to the boat which was reported to be capsizing. The Ridge fireboat arrived on scene and determined the vessel to be hard aground, not capsizing in the South fork of the creek. The party decided after calling 911, Sea Tow and Drury's marina they would now stay with the boat and hope the winds lay down..dunno what they decided later on, I doubt whether the water came back enough for them to get off.

This day was awefully similar to the El Toro incident some years back... Moral to this story which thankfully ended much better then the El Toro disaster, heed the forecast folks! Yea the weather man is wrong sometimes, but it's better to be po'd you missed out a fishing day, then being in the water fighting for your life!!

 

[NachoLibre]

Thanks for the update. So, everyone in allt three incidents survived, correct?

Does anyone know the conditon of the guy that fell in @ PLO? I've always been curions about the effect of falling into the water at these temperatures. He's obviously lucky to be alive and owes his rescuers a lot of appreciation for saving his life.