The Coast Guard announced the rescue of a family who got stranded on an island off Cape Cod after the boat they were on suddenly caught fire.
The family was stranded on the remote Massachusetts island for a little more than a day since the incident. Authorities said that the family included a mother, father, and son who set sail from Eel Pond in Falmouth on Friday.
Family Stranded on Remote Island
They allegedly planned to take their 30-foot boat between Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard and anchor there for the weekend. Reports identified the family members as Cynthia Sullivan, Patrick Sullivan, and the boy, Tyler Sullivan.
The incident began on Tuesday evening, when the family did not return, causing a relative to alert the authorities. The Coast Guard, Falmouth authorities, and volunteers searched for the family's boat on Tuesday night into Wednesday morning.
The Coast Guard later said that the family had woken up to find that their boat was suddenly on fire on Monday night, which forced them to abandon ship. The family was reportedly able to swim to nearby Naushon Island, which is the largest of the Elizabeth Islands, and took shelter in a bar, according to Yahoo News.
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While searching the family's boat, authorities tried to contact the boat's crew, but the calls simply went straight to voicemail. Additionally, cell phone pings did not provide an accurate location of where the family members were.
The Coast Guard said that when the young boy was walking along the remote beach, he found the boat's marine radio, which fortunately washed ashore. They then received a mayday call on the radio on Wednesday morning, which led them to the family's location.
Rescued by the Coast Guard
The family was then picked up by a Coast Guard helicopter and transported to an area hospital to be checked for any injuries or health-related issues. A search and rescue mission coordinator from Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England, Scott Backholm, said the family survived because of quick thinking and having quality equipment, ABC News reported.
Cynthia and Tyler are now being treated at Cape Cod Hospital, while the father was flown to a Boston hospital's burn unit. The couple's other son, Christopher, asked the public for prayers for his mother, saying she was in bad shape.
Christopher confirmed that his mother was in critical but stable condition. However, his father reportedly had third-degree burns on his arm but is in stable condition, as per WCVB.
