Family Rescued by Coast Guard After Boat Fire Forces Them to Swim to Massachusetts Island

A Coast Guard helicopter rescued a family and transported them to a hospital after they survived a boat fire.

Gosnold, Massachusetts:

Three family members who swam to a private island when their boat caught fire and sank were rescued two days later after their marine radio washed ashore.

"Mayday, mayday, mayday! Our ship went down in Tarpaulin's Cove!" Tyler Sullivan told a Coast Guard dispatcher early Wednesday morning. "Our ship burned while we were sleeping, and we barely escaped!"

Sullivan and his parents departed from Falmouth on Friday with plans to return Tuesday after spending the weekend anchored near Naushon Island, the largest in a chain of islands between southeastern Massachusetts and Martha's Vineyard. When a relative contacted authorities Tuesday night after the family failed to return, a multiagency search operation was launched involving Falmouth police and the Falmouth Harbormaster.

In audio provided by Broadcastify.com, a Coast Guard dispatcher inquired about the medical conditions of Sullivan's parents and their mobility. In the mayday recordings released by the Coast Guard, Sullivan described their location and explained what happened to their boat.

"The vessel has sunk, and we are in the farmhouse," Sullivan stated.

Shortly thereafter, the family was rescued by a Coast Guard helicopter and transported to a local hospital. Sullivan's brother, Christopher, informed WCVB-TV that his mother was in critical but stable condition.

"Quick thinking and having quality equipment allowed the family to survive and call for help," Scott Backholm, a search and rescue mission coordinator from Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England said in a statement.

Naushon Island, part of the Elizabeth Islands, is owned by the Forbes family but has several coves that are accessible to the public, according to a company that offers tourist excursions to the islands.