Maine Man Rescued After His Skiff Overturned in Tenants Harbor

A Maine man whose skiff was found overturned in Tenants Harbor is safe after being rescued from an island.

Have Officials Released the Man's Identity?

This story could have had a much more tragic ending if not for the fact that the man, who has asked not to be identified, was able to swim to safety.

Why Was He Out In His Skiff?

Officials say the man had gone out in his skiff on Sunday to try and find parts of a private dock that had washed away during the recent storms. His family became concerned when he didn't return from that excursion and so they called 911 to report him missing at approximately 4:45 Sunday afternoon.

Where Did They Find Him?

The search could have gone on for days, while members of the Maine Marine Patrol, St. George Fire Department, and the United States Coast Guard, as well as local Good Samaritans, searched the area for the missing man. But when a nearby resident notified the fire department to say they heard what sounded like someone yelling from the direction of Northern Island, that helped responders focus their search. They found the man's small skiff overturned near the island, which is located near the mouth of Tenants Harbor. Then they found the man, who swam to the island after entering the water.

When rescuers found the man at approximately 5 pm, he was conscious but unable to move. He was transported off the island by a Maine Marine Patrol boat and then transferred to a waiting U.S. Coast Guard vessel. The Coast Guard got him to shore where he was loaded into an ambulance and taken to a nearby hospital.