Coast Guard rescues 11 after boat capsizes west of Oregon Inlet, North Carolina

ByU.S.CoastGuard

PORTSMOUTH,Va TheCoastGuard rescued 11 people from the water Wednesday after an airboat capsized near Oregon Inlet, in North Carolina.

A Dare County, North Carolina, dispatcher contacted watchstanders at CoastGuardSectorNorthCarolinaatabout 10:15a.m.WednesdaytorelaythattheOBX

1,a20-footairboat,capsizedabouthalfofa mile west of Oregon Inlet. The dispatcher also said various degrees of injuries were reported and that all passengers were reported to be wearing life jackets CoastGuardwatchstandersdispatcheda 27-foot Shallow Water Response Boat and a29-footResponseBoatfromCoastGuard Station Oregon Inlet.

An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter aircrew from Air Station Elizabeth City, North Carolina, also diverted from local training operations to provide oversight and on-scene communications

The Oregon Inlet rescue boat crews arrivedonsceneandimmediatelyretrieved one person from the water who had been pinned under the airboat and was suffering from a potential chest and head injury WatchstandersrequestedaDareCounty Life Flight helicopter crew to assist with transportingthepersontoSentaraNorfolk General Hospital while the Coast Guard crews retrieved the remaining ten people from the water The survivors were all taken to Station

Oregon Inlet where their care was transferred to awaiting emergency medical services personnel Two people were reported to have serious injuries

Commercial salvage towed the OBX 1 to Pirates Cove Marina in Manteo, North Carolina

The incident is under investigation by Coast Guard Marine Safety Detachment Nags Head.