A family of three was rescued by the US Coast Guard off Cape Cod after their 30ft pleasure boat caught fire, forcing them to swim to a small island where they sheltered in a barn for nearly two days.
The mother, father and son failed to return on Tuesday evening as planned, prompting a relative to contact authorities. The Coast Guard, along with Falmouth police and harbormaster, searched through the night, but calls to the family went unanswered.
On Wednesday, the son managed to use the boat's marine radio, which had washed ashore, to make a mayday call. The family was then airlifted from Naushon Island by a Coast Guard helicopter and taken to hospital.
Scott Backholm, a search and rescue mission coordinator at Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England, praised the family's quick thinking and the quality of their equipment for enabling their survival and rescue.
The Coast Guard said the family had planned to anchor between Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard over the weekend, intending to return on Tuesday afternoon. They were awakened by the fire, but further details of the incident, including how far they swam and the nature of their injuries, have not been disclosed.
