Coast guard rescues three boaters

NEWPORT, R.I. (WPRI) - The Coast Guard rescues three men off the coast of Newport early Thursday morning.

The Coast Guard Castle hill was notified around 9am that 3 men, ages 16, 25, and 31 were stuck in the water off of Lands End. Their sailboat had become caught in a fishing net.

Petty Officer Luke Pineo says, " They were out on a recreational trip. From what it sounds like, they got tangled up in the fishing net." 

The Coast Guard launched a 41 foot rescue boat, however, due to the net, the rescue crew was not able to get close enough to the boaters in distress. A helicopter was then called to the scene to help with the rescue.

After the crew determined the weather conditions were to dangerous to get close enough for a rescue, they advised the boaters to put on their survival suits and jump into the water.

"The net that they were tangled in could have very quickly become the net that we were tangled in and we didn't want to have two boats out there that needed to be rescued," says Petty Officer Pineo.

Shortly after, the men were hoisted into the helicopter and taken to dry land where they were evaluated by the EMS.