Survival at Sea

2 Sailors Found After USCG Search

missing boaters

Kevin Hyde and Joe Ditomasso left Cape May on Nov. 26. They last spoke with family on Dec. 3.

The boaters set sail on the vessel "Atrevida II" from Utsch's Marina in Cape May on Nov. 26. Things started going wrong 3 days later. On November 29, Hyde and DiTomasso ran aground upon entering Rudee Inlet, near Virginia Beach, Virginia. Coast Guard Station Little Creek and Virginia Beach Fireboat 12 helped to safely refloat the boat with no reported damage.

Worried Family

Coast Guard Fifth District command center watchstanders received a report from family members on December 11 that the blue and white Catalina 30 Atrevida II had not been heard from since December 3, when it departed from a stop at Oregon Inlet, North Carolina.

The Coast Guard commenced an air and water search effort on December 12, initially focused on the ocean between North Carolina and Marathon Key. Later, the Coast Guard expanded its search area from the northern coast of Florida to waters east of New Jersey.

missing boaters

The Catalina 30's Atrevida II before the trip south.

The USCG assets used in the search included:

• Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City HC-130 Hercules airplane and MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crews

• Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater HC-130 airplane crew

• Coast Guard Air Station Miami HC-144 Ocean Sentry airplane crew

• USCGC Oak (WLB 211), homeported in Newport, Rhode Island

• USCGC Richard Snyder (WPC 1121), homeported in Atlantic City, North Carolina

• U.S. Navy USS San Jacinto (CG 56), homeported in Norfolk, Virginia

Needle in a Haystack

“The total area searched was about 16,000 square miles. To put it into perspective, it’s roughly twice the size of New Jersey. We’re looking for something that’s a little bit bigger than a large SUV,” said Commander Daniel Schrader of the United States Coast Guard.

missing boaters

Oregon Inlet, NC, is on the Outer Banks which are not visible on this map. Obviously, the men were considerably off course, likely due to the power of the Gulf Stream and their lack of electronic navigational aids.

Found December 13th

The tanker Silver Muna, located the sailing vessel Atrevida II, approximately 214 miles east of Delaware – northeast of where they had last been seen.

Hyde, DiTomasso, and their dog were alive, but the Atrevida II was found to be without fuel and power, rendering their radios and navigation equipment inoperable. Hyde and DiTomasso gained the attention of the Silver Muna crew by waiving their arms and a flag.

Good Samaritan Tanker 

The men and dog were brought aboard Silver Muna at 4:18 pm. They were evaluated by the vessel’s medical staff with no immediate concerns. Hyde and DiTomasso will remain aboard Silver Muna as it proceeds to its next port of call in New York, New York where they will be transferred to a Coast Guard vessel for further evaluation and reunification with their family and friends.

Officials say Hyde and DiTomasso could barely stand when they were rescued. "Because of how exhausted they were, they couldn't talk. So, they didn't interview them yet. So, they didn't get any details," said Dan Sekel, an in-law of DiTomasso.

DiTomasso's daughters gave a resounding "no" when asked if they would let their father on another trip to Florida. On Wednesday, the Coast Guard will pick up the men and dog after the tanker docks in New York around 2 p.m.