PHILADELPHIA — The Coast Guard and the Ocean City Police Department rescued two people and their dog Sunday after their sailing vessel caught fire approximately 3 miles east of Ocean City, N.J.
A 25-foot Response Boat-Small (RBS) crew from Coast Guard Station Atlantic City rescued the two people and their dog from their dinghy after they abandoned the sailing vessel.
One of the people aboard the sailing vessel notified watch standers at Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay on VHF marine radio channel 16 at 10:49 a.m., that their vessel was on fire. The passengers put on life jackets and boarded their dinghy. The Coast Guard RBS crew arrived on scene at 11:02 a.m., and took the two people and their dog aboard.
"The owner's understanding of emergency procedures allowed for quick Coast Guard response," said Petty Officer 1st Class Neena Santiago, an operations specialist at the Sector Delaware Bay command center. "His vessel was equipped with a VHF marine radio, life jackets and a dinghy — all crucial to the safety of the people aboard and their dog."
The survivors did not require medical assistance.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.