Commercial fisherman Jeremy Shockley rescued 23 people, including 14 elementary school children, after their charter boat hit a submerged object June 1 in Chesapeake Bay off Bloodsworth Island.
The children, who were on a field trip, put on life jackets as the 40-foot Chesapeake Bay Foundation boat began to sink in about 10 feet of water. The sunken boat’s superstructure was barely awash in the shallow water, keeping everyone out of deep water.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LzFCW_cld4
The Associated Press reported that Shockley took all of the passengers aboard his Lady Ka Kee and brought them to shore in Wingate on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.
The captain of the stricken boat was airlifted to Peninsula Regional Medical Center and two others were taken to area hospitals for treatment, but none of their injuries were life-threatening.
The Coast Guard is investigating because the charter boat entered a prohibited area. AP said the Navy used the Bloodsworth Island Range for live-ordnance training from 1942 to 1995 and warns of unexploded bombs in the area.
The investigation may determine what the charter boat struck.
