SUAMICO (NBC 26) — An 81-year-old man is safe after his sailboat capsized about two miles from shore in the Bay of Green Bay Monday.
The boat flipped in approximately 15 feet of water. The man stayed with the overturned boat, holding onto the hull while waiting for help.
He had his cell phone with him and called emergency services to report the incident. Dispatchers used the information he provided to determine his location, and rescue crews immediately began searching the area.
Conditions grew more dangerous as the man told dispatchers the waves were getting bigger, making it harder for him to hold onto the boat.
Crews eventually spotted the capsized sailboat, pulled the man from the water and onto their rescue boat, and brought him safely back to shore.
The Suamico Fire Department and Brown County Sheriff's Office led the rescue.
Fire officials are reminding anyone heading out on the water to always wear a properly fitted life jacket.
