Video: Coast Guard Aircrew Rescues Two from Lake Erie

A Coast Guard aircrew from Air Station Detroit at Selfridge Air National Guard Base rescued two men Sunday from Lake Erie.

The boat the men were riding in capsized near of Ward’s Canal near Jerusalem Township, Ohio, according to a release.

A 911 dispatcher from Lucas County, Ohio, called Coast Guard Sector Detroit at 12:32 p.m. after receiving a report of two men in the water.

A boatcrew from Coast Guard Station Toledo, Ohio, and a rescue aircrew aboard an MH-65C Dolphin rescue helicopter, from Coast Guard Air Station Detroit, were launched in attempt to locate the men.

At 1:40 p.m., the rescue aircrew spotted the two men wearing life jackets and holding on to the stern of their boat. A rescue swimmer was lowered to the water and the two men were hoisted into the helicopter and taken to the Toledo Executive Airport. The men were transferred to emergency medical services and were treated for hypothermia.

“The two individuals did a lot to help themselves from this emergency situation by wearing their life jackets, staying together and staying with their boat,” said Lt. j.g. Joe Rozycki, the aircrew's co-pilot, in a release. “It is much easier to spot the bottom of a capsized boat than to spot a person in the water.”

The Coast Guard is not releasing the names and hometowns of the men, according to a release.

The Coast Guard also reminds boaters who are boating in the cooler weather should dress for the water temperature and not the air temperature. Boaters should also utilize a VHF marine radio when boating, because cell phones are not a reliable line of communication when on the water, according to a release.