SCARBOROUGH, Maine — Rough seas are being blamed for capsizing a 20-foot boat, stranding a father and son, who were rescued by a passing lobsterman who heard the U.S. Coast Guard’s call for help.
The operator of the vessel Seven Seas heard the emergency call, issued at about 7:15 a.m., and was the first to arrive, with two Scarborough Fire and Rescue boats and a Coast Guard ship on his heels, said Senior Chief Richard Randell of Sector Northern New England Command Center in Portland.
“We got a call from Scarborough dispatch about a 20-foot pleasure craft that had capsized about 400 yards off Scarborough Beach with two people sitting on the hull,” Randell said. “We issued a broadcast and there was a lobster boat in the area.”
The Coast Guard official said he was still waiting on information to finish his report and did not have the name of the lobsterman.
The father, Peter Brown, 42, of Scarborough, and his son, were unhurt, said Randell, who described rough conditions off the coast.
“There is a small craft advisory around and winds are going 12 to 15 knots,” Randell said. “The sea waves are at about 4 foot and it’s expected to get higher this afternoon.”
City officials, including Dave Corbeau, the marine resource officer for Scarborough who is handling media calls, are still at the scene.
“They’re still down there trying to get the boat out of the water,” a local Scarborough dispatcher said.