STAMFORD, Conn. — A 30-year-old man was rescued Friday night after his sailboat capsized in the Long Island Sound about three-quarters of a mile off Shippan Point, according to the Stamford Fire Department.
The incident occurred around 8:30 p.m. when beachgoers at the Woodway Beach Club, located at 95 Hobson Street, observed a small sailboat overturn in rough waters and alerted Stamford 911.
The man, who was alone aboard a 12-foot 9-inch Zuma sailboat, was thrown into the water but managed to right the vessel and re-enter. The sail remained collapsed, leaving the boat adrift in approximately two-foot seas and winds of 11 to 14 mph.
Rescue teams from Stamford Fire, Police, and EMS were dispatched. Shore-based command personnel at the beach club directed marine units to the man’s location.
A Stamford Police boat reached the victim, who was conscious, at 8:52 p.m. and transported him to the West Beach boat ramp by 9:03 p.m., where fire and EMS crews took over care.
Victim treated for hypothermia after exposure
Emergency responders noted that the water temperature was about 73 degrees Fahrenheit, while the air temperature was 67 degrees with steady wind, conditions that contributed to the onset of hypothermia.
Stamford EMS treated the man at the scene before transporting him to Stamford Hospital for further observation.
Meanwhile, a Stamford Fire boat recovered the sailboat and towed it to shore at the West Beach boat ramp.
A solo sailor was rescued from the Sound Friday after battling wind and waves when his boat overturned near Shippan Point.