The Coast Guard rescued a 65-year-old woman from her sailboat which ran aground near Round Island in the Straits of Mackinac, off Michigan, early Tuesday.
Watchstanders at the Coast Guard Sector Sault Ste. Marie Command Center received a call at about 4:30 a.m., over VHF-FM channel 16, from the skipper of the 35-foot vessel, Nighhawk 3, stating that her sailboat had become grounded near Round Island while taking part in the Chicago to Mackinac Solo Sailing Challenge.
“This case may have had a different outcome had the skipper not been as prepared as she was,” said Lt. Ludwig Gazvoda, command duty officer at the Sector Sault Ste. Marie Command Center. “She had a working marine band radio as well as a life jacket and cold water gear. With water temperatures still in the 50 degree range, being properly prepared dramatically increases survivability.”
