A quick thinking captain and a swift rescue operation prevented a shrimp trawler from sinking in New Harbor on the first day of shrimp season, Jan. 2.
Frank Poland, captain and owner of the shrimp trawler Clara, intentionally ran the leaking boat aground about 100 feet short of the New Harbor town landing “to keep it from sinking,” Bristol Fire Chief Paul Leeman said.
Leeman called Poland’s decision “a brilliant move.”
Bristol Fire and Rescue responded to the scene around noon. Firefighters battled the tide to pump water off the boat and, with the help of shrimpers David Autio and Brian Sawyer, were “eventually able to get the boat up and floating,” Leeman said.
Sawyer, captain of Lobster Tales, said he and Autio, in the Susan A., were able to lift the boat up with their winches. He said most of the credit belongs to the firefighters, some of whom were up to their chests in the 45-degree water.
The fishermen brought at least some of the boat’s cargo of shrimp to shore, Leeman said.
Troy Benner hauled the boat onto shore later in the afternoon, Leeman said.
Leeman referred a question about the cause of the leaking to Poland. Poland couldn’t be reached for comment before press time.
The department cleared the scene at 6 p.m.
Sawyer said the incident exemplifies how fishery regulations endanger shrimpers.
The trawlers can only fish on Monday, Wednesday and Friday this year and face a smaller quota – half the 2010-2011 figure.
“The state is almost forcing people to go out in bad weather,” Sawyer said, including Monday’s gusts, which transformed Poland’s misfortune into “a life-threatening situation.”
Sawyer said he and his sternman chose not to shrimp Monday, but about half of New Harbor’s shrimpers did go out.
The fishery’s regulatory body, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Northern Shrimp Section, says the regulations are necessary to combat overfishing.
