“When we looked at it a little closer, I noticed there was a gentleman at the top frantically waving his arms at us,” Tormay said.
The man, who Tormay and Whitbeck said called himself Art, was fishing in a boat when strong currents caused his vessel to capsize.
“When we drove up to get him, he was trapped there for about an hour, which was really scary,” Whitbeck said. “He said he waved and tried to reach nearby boats or ships that were passing by to no avail. At this point, three different boats passed him without success.
The fishermen jumped into action and radioed the US Coast Guard to advise them of the situation. It was about 3:30 p.m. when they caught up with the man who was drifting. He was not wearing a life jacket and, according to fishermen, he was in 58-degree water.
As former Coast Guard members, Tormay and Whitbeck were no strangers to the ocean. Whitbeck helped the man put on a life jacket so he could float in the water.
“Fortunately, we were able to steer the boat towards the overturned vessel and safely transferred the gentleman to our boat,” Tormay said.
When the Coast Guard arrived, Art managed to change into dry clothes. A bystander offered to take him to a truck parked on the island.
Anglers say they weren’t too surprised by what they witnessed.
“Living here for the last 20 years, you definitely run into things,” Tormay said. “We spend a lot of time on the water.”
The next morning the men spoke to Art, confirming that he was happy and in good condition.
In September, a Sandwich Fire patrol rescued a sailor off the coast of Cape Cod who was stranded in rough water.
Steph Ware can be reached at [email protected].