Men rescued from Back Bay
Published 9:15 pm Monday, December 28, 2015
Three local duck hunters were rescued from Back Bay after their boat overturned Monday morning.
One Suffolk resident and two Isle of Wight residents were duck hunting in Virginia Beach’s Back Bay when their boat began taking on water and eventually overturned near Simpson Island, according to a press release from Virginia Beach Fire and EMS.
Fortunately, the water was shallow enough for the three hunters to stand up, even though it was 56 degrees. The boaters were able to use their cellphones to call for help.
Rescue boats from the fire department and the EMS Volunteer Marine Rescue Team were launched to assist. A Coast Guard helicopter was also requested to help locate the victims.
Darkness and the size of the search area proved to be challenging, as did rough water and winds of up to 25 miles per hour. However, the helicopter was able to locate the men shortly before 7 a.m., and a boat arrived within a few minutes to bring them men on board. They were cold and wet but uninjured, according to the release.