Sailing School Says 4 Boats Capsized Before Rescue

A previous report stated a young woman helped rescue eight children, but Patch has now learned two instructors were responsible for rescuing the young sailors. 

Portsmouth Youth Sailing resumed its summer camp Wednesday, only a day after on the Sakonnet River. 

Ted Gersen, president of Portsmouth Youth Sailing, provided clarification in an e-mail about what he called an "unfortunate incident" at Tuesday. 

According to Gersen, Portsmouth Youth Sailing held its Captain Camp at Sandy Point Beach yesterday. Approximately 12 children and three instructors took part in the program. 

After land activities and a required swim test, "instructors launched six Optimist Dinghy sailboats with two kids in each boat." The northwest wind speed was approximately 10 knots at the time. 

All of the children and instructors wore U.S. Coast Guard-approved personal flotation devices, said Gersen. 

"Around 4 p.m., an unexpected, above forecast, breeze came up very quickly. Four boats capsized simultaneously," Gersen wrote in an e-mail. 

When reached by phone, Gersen confirmed the eight children in those four boats fell in the Sakonnet River. It is unknown how long the children were in the water before being rescued. 

One of the six boats managed to sail back to the beach. Another boat with its two crew were recovered by an instructor. 

Two instructors, in multiple trips in a motorboat, managed to pull the eight children out of the water and bring them back to shore. The children are around 10-years-old, according to Gersen. 

A woman on the beach also swam out to the drifting sailboats in an attempt to help. According to reports, the woman is believed to have been in the water for more than an hour.

Four of the empty boats were then left to drift. One of the instructors remained in one boat to bail water.

With the help of Portsmouth, Tiverton and Middletown Fire Departments, the Tiverton Harbormaster and U.S. Coast Guard, all four sailboats were recovered.

"We would like to thank all of the responders to the call," Gersen wrote. "It was run very professionally and all went well. We are truly sorry this situation occurred. Thankfully, it ended with all the children and instructors safe!"

Portsmouth Youth Sailing is a volunteer-run summer sailing camp, which has operated for six consecutive years introducing hundreds of children to the basics of sailing.

All of Portsmouth Youth Sailing instructors are U.S. Sailing Level 1 certified and trained in CPR and First Aid. Portsmouth Youth Sailing camps resumed their normal schedule this morning at 9 a.m.