Two Men Survive Sinking off Georgia by Clinging to a Bean Bag
Two boaters off the coast of Georgia survived a sinking because of assistance from American mariners - and a bean bag chair.
On Saturday, Calvin Roman and Zachary Wade departed shore in their 30-foot boat for an extended fishing trip. Early on Monday morning, at a position about 75 miles off the coast of Brunswick, Georgia, their vessel began rapidly taking on water. The boat began to go down, leaving them clinging to a nonstandard but effective life-saving appliance: a blue-and-white striped bean bag.
One of them swam down below the surface to free the EPIRB from the sinking vessel and send a distress signal, and U.S. Coast Guard Southeast District received it at about 0650 hours.
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In response, the district launched a SAR effort with multiple aircraft. The rescue coordination center also contacted a Jones Act product tanker, the uniquely designed American Phoenix, to request assistance.
The crew of the Phoenix arrived on scene and used their rescue boat to retrieve Roman and Wade from the water. Neither sustained serious injuries. A rescue-boat crew from Station Mayport met the American Phoenix at a position about four miles off Mayport and brought them safely ashore.
