Maryland State Police helicopters rescued three men from the roof of a 38-foot work boat that was sinking yesterday in Bear Creek near Watersedge Park in Dundalk.
Around 6:15 a.m., rescue teams from the state police, Coast Guard and Baltimore County Fire Department responded to the radio call for help from the boat, the Moon Dog, owned by Raymond Foreman.
The men were headed toward the Bay Bridge to do some commercial fishing when the boat became stuck in ice, said Mr. Foreman, 76, of the 100 block of Bayside Drive in Middle River.
His grandson, Garrett Foreman, 24, and David Long, 21, both of the Baltimore area, were with him.
"I couldn't turn the boat around in that ice," the elder Mr. Foreman said. "You can't just turn a big boat like that around too easily. I stopped and tried backing up on it about a foot, but the ice came right up on it and crushed both sides. It left two holes about 3 inches wide on the lower bow."
Three state police helicopters arrived at 6:30 a.m. By then, the three men were on the roof of the boat, said Lt. Gregory M. Shipley, a state police spokesman.
The first helicopter from Martin State Airport, piloted by Cpl. Richard Bruns and carrying flight paramedic Tfc. Walter Kerr, pulled two of the men off the boat about 6:45 a.m., Lieutenant Shipley said.
The second helicopter from the Washington section, piloted by Robert Corolla and carrying paramedic Tfc. David Greenwood, lifted the third man off the boat about 7:15 a.m.
A third helicopter, piloted by Tfc. James Binges and carrying paramedic Cpl. James Collins, was on standby but was not needed in the rescue.
Mr. Foreman was treated at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center for exposure and released.
His grandson and Mr. Long were treated at the scene, officials said.
The Moon Dog, which stayed partially afloat, was towed to a local boat yard where friends of Mr. Foreman were repairing the damage.
"It's just been a bad day for me," he said. "But I have really good friends. I really appreciate them helping me fix my boat."