A commercial fisherman who fell overboard from a lobster boat and into the Atlantic Ocean has been found alive 43 miles south of Montauk Point, the U.S. Coast Guard said.
John Aldridge was found shortly after 3 p.m. Wenesday, less than 24 hours after he went missing from the Anna Mary, a 44-foot fishing vessel, officials said. He was airlifted to Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod for treatment of dehydration, exposure and hypothermia.
“We’re extremely lucky to have been able to located him,” said Petty Officer Ali Flockerzi, a Coast Guard spokeswoman who credited recreational and commercial boaters with helping in the search. “It all contributed greatly to the success of finding him.”
Aldridge was not wearing a life jacket at the time.
Flockerzi noted that two rescue boat crews from Coast Guard Station Montauk, the Cutter Sailfish from Sandy Hook, New Jersey and two rescue helicopters led the search.
Together, they covered area of 660 square miles, she said.
