Revere Liferaft Saves 3 on Massachusetts Fishing Trip - 1.18.07
Details of F/V Seamus & Liam II Sinking
Off the coast of New Bedford, Massachusetts
Owner: Kevin Sullivan.
On January 18, 2007, the F/V Seamus & Liam II was returning from an offshore fishing trip with two other crewmen. While steaming along, I noticed that the boat began to feel heavy and steering was difficult. I had a crewman open the engine cover, and the compartment was full of water and about to cover the engine. There was a tremendous amount of water coming in and the bilge pumps could not keep up with the surge. We went into emergency mode by getting on the VHF radio to the US Coast Guard for mayday. One of the crew members got the survival suits out, while the other removed the EPIRB from the auto case and activated it. We then removed the liferaft from the cradle and tied it to the railing of the boat. During this adrenaline-filled moment, we placed another mayday and abandoned the vessel. This all took place within forty-five seconds! I could hear another fishing boat and a friend relay information to the USCG as we entered the water. The two crewmen pulled the painter and deployed the raft onto the surface of the ocean. The strongest of us got into the raft first, then pulled everyone else in. The water temperature was 41˚and sundown was coming. I have never been so cold in my life, but once I got into the raft and put the suit on, things improved. A USCG Cutter from Port Judith, Rhode Island and other fishing boats came to our aid and transported us to land. We are very thankful to everyone from the fishing industry, friends, the US Coast Guard and service manager Richard Joia from I.M.P. Fishing Gear. The raft is a Revere 4-Man SOLAS A, serviced 2 months before this episode took place. I would also like to thank everyone at Revere Supply not only for their life-saving products, but also for being there for me -- both before and after this “almost” tragic event.
Best Regards,
Kevin Sullivan