A 65-foot Irwin sailboat grounded on the jetty at Masonboro Inlet Monday night, after losing power and drifting onto the jetty.
The U.S. Coast Guard responded to a mayday call at about 10 p.m. on Monday night, rescuing three sailors, confirmed BM2 Danny Jancauskas of Coast Guard Station Wrightsville Beach. He said the boat’s engine had died and its rudder had seized up, making it impossible to navigate the inlet.
“It washed into the jetty, and we got a distress call,” he said. “We went out and saw the sailboat
Staff photo by Joshua Curry
Tom Morgan, left, and Doug Gilstrap prepare to dive off the north end of the Masonboro Inlet jetty on Wednesday, Sept. 5 to cut snagged rigging from a sailboat that sank Monday night. Tow Boat U.S. was working on dragging large chunks of debris to shallow water for removal. |
smashed on the rocks, and the three people from the boat were on the jetty.”
One of the victims jumped into the water and was picked up by the Coast Guard. The other two victims attempted to make their way along the jetty toward shore but were unable to do so. They, too, jumped into the water and were then picked up, Jancauskas said.
The men were transported to the Coast Guard station, where they received medical attention and were released.
George Bruton, owner of Tow Boat U.S. in Wrightsville Beach, said the boat was completely destroyed on the rocks.
Debris from the craft has been washing up on Masonboro Island, but not a substantial quantity has come ashore on Wrightsville, due to southerly current flow.
“There’s nothing left of it; it’s completely torn to pieces,” Burton said of the boat. “We’re going to do what we call a wreck removal.”
Divers worked to remove submerged debris throughout the afternoon on Wednesday, Sept. 5.
