Sailors missing at sea for 10 days rescued off Delaware coast
Two men on a sailboat missing for 10 days were rescued at sea Tuesday.
Posted — Updated
Kevin Hyde, 65, and Joe Ditomasso, 76, were sailing from Cape May, New Jersey, to Marathon, Florida, but disappeared after they left North Carolina's Outer Banks on Dec. 3.
The U.S. Coast Guard said Hyde and Ditomasso, along with their dog, were located about 200 miles off the coast of Delaware.
The men were able to get the attention of a tanking vessel by waving their arms and a flag.
The tanker brought the men aboard, and medical staff said there were “no immediate concerns.”
Both Hyde and Ditomasso will remain aboard the tanker that rescued them as it continues to New York. From there, the men will be transferred to a Coast Guard vessel for further evaluation and to be reunited with family.
"I can't even express the joy of emotions and just relief," said Natalie Ditomasso, the daughter of one missing sailor.
Ditomasso said, when the Coast Guard couldn't reach her father a few days ago, panic set in.
"That's when of course my mind jumped to what happened to them ... something isn’t right," Natalie Ditomasso said.
The Coast Guard said the sailors' 30-foot sailboat out of fuel and power, leaving their radios and navigation useless.
The Coast Guard searched from the Jersey Shore to Florida, but family members said much of the focus was on North Carolina.
“They were dealing with 9 to 12 foot seas and 25 to 40 knot winds so we knew that’s not good for 30 foot sailboats," a family member said.
The sailors had years of experience on their side.
"If anybody was going to make it out there it was gonna be him 100%. Part of this is luck, and we’re just thrilled to have him home," Natalie Ditomasso said.
• Credits
Copyright 2024 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
