Sea Tow Reports Busy July 4th Weekend

Sea Tow Hampton Roads (Va.) responded to a call for assistance from local authorities in freeing a sailboat from the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel on Sunday, July 3.

      Southold, N.Y. -- The number of July 4th weekend marine assistance calls to Sea Tow’s nationwide 24-hour dispatch center increased by 32 percent over 2010. The number of assistance calls dispatched for Trailer Care, the company’s roadside assistance program, increased by 58 percent over 2010.
     The most common request for on-water assistance was for a tow due to mechanical failure, followed by the need for fuel drops and un-groundings. Over the course of the weekend, Sea Tow members saved more than $400,000, as these services were provided for free under their membership privileges.
     Sea Tow Atlantic City and Sea Tow Cape May (N.J.), Sea Tow Freeport and Sea Tow Great South Bay (N.Y.), along with Sea Tow Central Texas, reported the highest activity levels in the network.
     “This was a tremendously busy weekend for our entire network,” said Capt. Joe Frohnhoefer, Sea Tow’s founder/CEO. “We’re proud of the job our Sea Tow Captains and staff did from coast to coast. They were able to provide boaters with peace of mind when it mattered most.”
     In addition to the typical requests for on-water assistance, below are some highlights from the weekend:
     Sea Tow Captain John Gridley, co-owner of Sea Tow Clarks Hill Lake (a.k.a. Strom Thurman Lake), located near Augusta, Ga., saved the life of a boater. A severe thunderstorm blew across the area on Monday, July 4, catching a 98-foot houseboat in “horrid conditions.” A 12-year-old boy wearing his life jacket was blown overboard. Two adults jumped into the water to help, one without a life jacket. Capt. Gridley pulled the three from the water, transporting them to shore where the captain and another individual (Jim Masiongale) conducted rescue breathing on the victim who wasn’t wearing a life jacket until medical personnel arrived. Local news reports indicate that all three will recover.
     Sea Tow Hampton Roads (Va.) responded to a call for assistance from local authorities in freeing a sailboat from the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel on Sunday, July 3. The mast of the boat became entangled between the bridge girders and high power lines that were secured to the bridge about a foot away from it. Sea Tow Captains steadied the boat between the bridge and the lines while crews from the Bridge-Tunnel authority cut the mast to free the vessel. The boat was then transported to a local marina.
     Sea Tow U.S. Virgin Islands arrived in their 33-foot triple-engine RHIB to work with the U.S. Coast Guard as an asset in responding to the grounding of the Miss Royal Belmar, an 89-foot ferry that ran aground July 4. Ultimately, 98 people including one infant, and 4 crew were successfully transported from the ferry to local authorities at Red Hook Harbor, St. Thomas. The U.S. Coast Guard is continuing its investigation; more information and a photo of the Miss Royal Belmar can be found on the District 7 Web site: http://www.d7publicaffairs.com/go/doc/586/468067/.
     NOTE: The results of this year’s statistical analysis includes the Sea Tow network’s activity level from Friday, July 1 through Monday, July 4, 2011.
     About Sea Tow:
     Sea Tow Services International, Inc. is the nation’s leading marine assistance provider. Founded in 1983 by Chairman & CEO Capt. Joe Frohnhoefer, Sea Tow now serves over 160,000 members in 106 locations throughout the United States, Europe, Australia, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. For a full list of membership benefits, or to inquire about becoming a Sea Tow franchise owner, please visit seatow.com.