The Coast Guard rescued a couple and their cat from their 50-foot houseboat as it was sinking in North Carolina. The couple were rescued by a Coast Guard helicopter; the cat by a Coast Guard boat crew. The couple – and the cat – all survived unhurt.
The rescue started when Coast Guard watchstanders in Elizabeth City got a call from a 911 call center in Pasquotank. It had received a call from a couple saying their houseboat was taking on water and sinking on the Scuppernong River along Albemarle Sound.
The Coast Guard launched a Jayhawk helicopter and a 29-foot response boat from Elizabeth City. The helicopter picked up the couple from the water; the crew from the response boat then got the cat from the houseboat. The couple and the cat were reunited back at a dock. The owner is coordinating with the Coast Guard about salvaging the boat.
“We were fortunate that we train for these scenarios all of the time,” said Lt. Karisa Kealy, one of the helicopter pilots. It was the first real-life hoist for her and Petty Officer 2nd Class Martin Andrada; she said it “was fantastic.” See the video:
https://coastguardnews.com/coast-guard-rescues-2-people-1-cat-from-sinking-houseboat/2020/06/13/
