A Capsize and a Quick Rescue
Maine Maritime Museum
First responders and SeaTow are being credited for rescuing the passengers and crew of the Maine Maritime Museum schooner Mary E when the 115-year-old vessel capsized in Maine’s Kennebec River near Bath on Friday, sending some people into the water.
Dr. Peter Nordlander, of Houston, Texas, said the wind increased dramatically, and before he knew it, he found himself handing out life jackets to passengers in the water who were clinging to the ship's masts.
Peter Nordlander
Crews from the Bath police, fire and harbor patrol, SeaTow and the Coast Guard rescued all 18 occupants. Three were taken to area medical facilities.
The schooner was eventually righted and returned to the Maine Maritime Museum dock. The cause of the capsize is under investigation by the Coast Guard and the National Transportation Safety Board.
You can read more about the incident, see footage of the capsize and watch an interview with Nordlander on the NECN website.
