A woman has died a day after the U.S. Coast Guard rescued her and two family members stranded on a remote Massachusetts island following a boat fire. The incident unfolded when the family’s 30-foot powerboat, The Third Wave, caught fire while anchored in a cove overnight, forcing them to swim to safety on Naushon Island.
Cynthia Sullivan, 73, died Thursday after suffering injuries from the incident. The family’s dog, who had alerted the family to the fire, also perished in the blaze. The trio—Cynthia, her husband Patrick, 72, and their son Tyler, 37—swam to the island and took shelter in a barn, remaining there for over 24 hours until a marine radio washed ashore, enabling Tyler to call for help.
Coast Guard helicopters arrived shortly after the radio transmission and airlifted the family to a hospital in Hyannis, Cape Cod. A family member had reported the Sullivans missing when they didn’t return home, and calls to their submerged cellphones went straight to voicemail. The Coast Guard noted that accurate pings from the family’s submerged devices were not received until Tyler reached them on the recovered handheld radio.
Chris Sullivan, in a Facebook post, memorialized his mother, who passed away peacefully, and shared updates that his father was awake and breathing independently. He paid tribute to his brother, Tyler, as a hero for saving his parents. Coast Guard officials emphasized the importance of safety equipment and first aid training for mariners, highlighting the family’s ability to survive due to their preparedness.
The Sullivans had set off from Falmouth, Massachusetts, last Friday, intending to return Tuesday afternoon. Despite the harrowing experience, they were reunited with their family and are now recovering from the ordeal. The incident has brought attention to the dangers of boating and the critical need for safety preparedness on the water.