The crews of two Maryland State Police helicopters searched for and rescued five adults and a dog who were stranded on a small island southwest of Crisfield on Sunday.
Helicopters based in Salisbury and Frederick were dispatched at about 7:35 p.m. to perform an over-water search for the people who had become stranded, according to state police.
The people were on a 22-foot boat that became disabled because of a fuel system issue, police said. Strong winds blew the boat onto the beach of a small island, and the victims were able to call for assistance using a cellphone, according to police. Because of the strong winds and shallow water, rescue boats couldn’t reach them.
The crew of Trooper 4, the helicopter based in Salisbury, located the victims, while the crew of Trooper 3, the helicopter based in Frederick, prepared for hoist operations, police said.
Two crew members on Trooper 3 were lowered and facilitated the hoist operation with a rescue basket, and the adults and dog were transported to the Crisfield Airport. The hoist operation was finished at about 9:45 p.m. Wind chills at the time were about 37 degrees, but nobody needed medical attention, police said.