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Crisfield Five Rescued in Chesapeake Bay

Chesapeake Bay
creative commons
Chesapeake Bay

CRISFIELD, Md. (AP) - Maryland State Police have rescued five people and a dog from the Chesapeake Bay.

Police said Monday that the group was on a 22-foot boat Sunday night when they experienced a problem with the fuel system. The boat stopped working and strong winds blew the vessel onto a small island southwest of Crisfield.

The group called 911.

Police say the winds were too strong and the water too shallow for rescue boats. They used state police helicopters based in Salisbury and Frederick to hoist the five people and the dog to safety in a rescue basket. 

Police say no one was hurt and that the stranded boaters were lucky they were able to use their cellphone to call for help. Wind chills were 37 degrees and would have plunged overnight.

Don Rush is the News Director and Senior Producer of News and Public Affairs at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.