PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Two men and a dog who were missing at sea for 10 days have been rescued. They were found adrift in their 30-foot sailboat, named Atrevida II, more than 200 miles off the coast of Delaware.
They had no fuel or power for their radio or navigation system.
“Thank God our prayers were answered, and we just keep saying it’s a Christmas miracle. It’s really unbelievable,” Nina DiTomasso told NBC10.
Her father, 76-year-old Joe DiTomasso, set sail from Cape May, New Jersey with his friend, 65-year-old Kevin Hyde, just after Thanksgiving, en route to the Florida Keys. Their families last heard from them on Dec. 3 after a stop in the Outer Banks.
The Coast Guard launched a search by sea and air that spanned more than 21,100 square miles between Florida and New Jersey. However, DiTomasso and Hyde were rescued Tuesday after they got the attention of crew members aboard a tanker ship by waving their arms and a flag.
The crew of the Silver Muna brought them and DiTommasso’s dog aboard to safety.
They received medical evaluations and are said to be physically OK. They should be back on solid ground — and reunited with their families — later Wednesday.