Coast Guard Rescue
Another rescue of a captain off of Atlantic city. Thanks to the men and women of the US Coast Guard for being there when needed;
Dramatic Sea Rescue Off the Atlantic City Coast By Cathy Gandolfo
November 6, 2007 - One grateful boater is safe on dry land thanks to some Coast Guard members with strong arms and a keen eye. A camera was rolling as the skipper was plucked from the Atlantic. Tonight, he's grateful, and those who saved him say it's all in a day's work.
It was a scallop boat that left New Bedford, Massachusetts and was en route to pick up a crew when it began to take on water off the New Jersey coast. That's when the Coast Guard swooped in the make a dramatic rescue.
"Just to see the look on his face, and to see the gratitude that they have. And it's, today was a good day for Coast Guard." Coast Guard rescue swimmer Chris Razoyk is talking about a rescue in the black Atlantic at 3 a.m.. A 42-foot scallop boat was sinking 16 miles south of Atlantic City. There were 8 to 10-foot seas, and 15-mile per hour winds. Rayzok was lowered to search for the boat's skipper, the lone person onboard.
After securing a crash ax, Razoyk broke the cabin's window, but 45-year-old Gregory Cooper was not there. He was floating about 30-yards away and was spotted by the chopper pilot. Razoyk told reporters he, "got in the water with him and he had a look on his face that I'll never forget. One of fear and panic."
The Linda-See was later towed and grounded at the Egg Harbor inlet off Ocean City.
The first call that something was wrong came in at 8:45 last night. For the next six hours the Coast Guard and skipper Cooper were in communication and a salvage boat was starting to tow the disabled vessel.
Finally, rescue swimmer Rayzok and survivor Cooper were at the rail of the chopper and soon inside the cabin.
Rayzok says, "He did give me a thumbs up, and grabbed my hand. And it was, it was moving." Even for an eight-year veteran of rescue swimming, saving a life is still a moving experience.
The Coast Guard says Mr. Cooper suffered from hypothermia, and remains at Atlantic Care Regional Medical Center in good condition.
