A 77-year-old sailor and his dog were rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard after being stranded at sea, with help from ham radio operators of the Maritime Mobile Service Net. On March 21, net member Rex Weinheimer, KC5AGO, picked up a weak distress call on 14.300 MHz from a disabled sailing vessel. Weinheimer told ABC News that conditions were very poor and it was nearly impossible to get information clearly. With the help of several other net members, the group was able to piece together the boat's location and condition The U.S. Coast Guard was notified and the man and his dog were eventually rescued by a Coast Guard helicopter. The name of the sailor was not released.
