NEW JERSEY – Two boaters who disappeared en route from New Jersey to the Florida Keys were found safely Tuesday after being stranded at sea for 10 days, the U.S. Coast Guard said.
Kevin Hyde, 64, Joe DiTommasso, 76, and DiTommasso’s dog were found more than 200 miles off the coast of Delaware, Dan Sekel, the stepfather of DiTommasso’s two daughters, told NBC10. The two men pointed to the crew of the tanker Silver Muna, according to the Coast Guard.
“They had gone off course,” Sekel said. “They were found in the New York area. A tanker truck was passing. They noticed the sailboat. They were waving a green flag, so they headed over to them. They safely loaded the two and the dog onto the tanker and now they will be transported to New York”.
The 30-foot Catalina sailboat named “Atrevida II” left a marina off Cape May, New Jersey on November 26 and was bound for Marathon, Florida.
The boaters were last heard from on December 3 after leaving Oregon Inlet, North Carolina, bound for Jupiter, Florida.
“I got a voicemail from him on Dec. 3 and it was very confusing coming in and out,” DiTommasso’s daughter Nina DiTommasso told NBC10. “But a dot on the voicemail said, ‘It’s okay.'”
Nina DiTommasso said her father is known for losing his phone and the family didn’t think much of it when he didn’t call for several days. However, after a week, the family became concerned and a friend alerted the Coast Guard on Sunday.
Officials then reported DiTommasso and Hyde missing and launched a massive search involving Coast Guard and Navy vessels and aircraft. Vessels in the ocean were also called upon to be vigilant.
Coast Guard officials said the ship was out of fuel and power, rendering her radios and navigational equipment, including GPS, inoperative.
“We were so excited that they had been found and were safe,” Sekel said. “They said their health looked good. They both looked exhausted and a little weathered. So they’re taking them to the hospital for observation. Make sure they don’t have hypothermia or anything.” “
Tuesday night, both men were on the tanker en route to New York, where they were due to join their family on Wednesday.
“My friends and everyone was like, ‘If anyone is going to survive this, it’s ‘Joey Tomatoes.'” That’s his nickname, so thank God our prayers have been answered and I still say he’s a Christmas miracle.” said Nina DiTommasso. ‘It’s really amazing.’
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