A Massachusetts woman died a day after she and her family were rescued from a remote island off Cape Cod, where they had taken shelter for two nights after escaping a boat fire.
Cynthia Sullivan, 72, passed away Thursday afternoon, her son Chris Sullivan shared in a social media post and on a GoFundMe page created to support the family.
“My mom passed last night. She went in peace,” Chris wrote, noting that his brother helped rescue their parents under “extremely chaotic circumstances” during the fire.
The U.S. Coast Guard rescued three members of the Sullivan family from Naushon Island on Wednesday after receiving a mayday call. Volunteers from the Naushon Trust, which owns the island, provided first aid before a Coast Guard helicopter transported the family to a hospital.
Cynthia died roughly 30 hours after being rescued due to severe hypothermia and smoke inhalation, according to The Boston Globe. Her husband, Patrick Sullivan, is reportedly awake and breathing on his own, while their son, Tyler Sullivan, is also awake and talking.
What Happened
The family had set out Friday night aboard their 30-foot vessel, Third Wave, from Eel Pond in Falmouth, planning a weekend trip around Cape Cod and Martha’s Vineyard. When they failed to return by Tuesday, concerned relatives reported them missing.
Authorities from the Coast Guard, Falmouth Police, Falmouth Harbormaster, and Naushon Trust launched a search overnight Tuesday into Wednesday. Calls to the vessel went unanswered, and cellphone pings failed to reveal its location.
Officials said the fire broke out Monday night, forcing the family to abandon the burning ship and swim to Naushon Island. They took refuge in a barn for two nights. While walking along the beach, Tyler found the boat’s marine radio, which had washed ashore.
Chris Sullivan told The Globe that his family frequently visited Tarpaulin Cove on Naushon Island, often anchoring there for short trips. “They normally go out there, just hang in the cove, then they anchor in the cove and they come back,” he said.
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