Distressed sailboat off Cape Breton successfully towed to Sydney
Man refused to leave struggling vessel stayed on board during tow
A distressed sailboat off the coast of Cape Breton has been successfully towed to Sydney, where everyone was found to be OK including the captain, who refused to leave his boat, even during the tow.
A Marine Atlantic ferry helped assist with the rescue of the man and his dog.
At 5:15 p.m. AT the coast guard ship Spindrift was able to reach the sailboat and successfully tow it to safety.
The man refused to leave the struggling vessel, according to Darrell Mercer, a Marine Atlantic spokesperson.
The MV Highlanders set sail Monday at 11:45 a.m. AT from Sydney, N.S., on its way to Port aux Basques, N.L., when the captain of the ferry got a call from the coast guard about a sailboat in distress about 20 nautical miles north of Sydney.
The ferry then shifted course to assist the craft, he said.
Maj. Amber Bineau of the Canadian Armed Forces said they received a signal from a personal locator beacon on the sailboat at about 2:15 p.m.
The 30-metre boat is a personal craft, she said, and its engine is disabled. There is also a hole in the hull just above the water line, she said.
'Typical for captains to want to remain on their vessels'
A Cormorant helicopter flew out to the vessel, but the man insisted on staying aboard his boat, Bineau said.
"It is typical for captains to want to remain on their vessels," she said.
"Jurisdictionally, we don't have any authority to force an individual off their property."
The Cormorant landed in Sydney in case the man changed his mind or the state of the sea forced an emergency evacuation, she said.
As of Monday evening, waves in the area were about three metres high, she said.
"It is a bit rough."
Bineau thanked Marine Atlantic in being able to assist with the rescue effort.