CHINCOTEAGUE, Va. (AP) - Two German sailors have been rescued after their sailboat lost its mast and was running low on fuel about 90 miles off Chincoteague.
The Coast Guard says the two were recovered from a life raft Tuesday morning. They were identified as 51-year-old Joerg Fleimming and 56-year-old Stefan Heising.
A distress call from Fleimming's sailboat Irene went out Monday and the cutter Shearwater arrived at Irene's location early Tuesday.
Coast Guard crews were unable to pass a towline to the sailboat, so both sailors boarded a life raft. They were taken to shore where they we met by customs officials and border patrol agents.
The two were flying back to Germany.
The Coast Guard says the Irene was abandoned.
