Chusan - Aground on the rocks at dusk near Winyah Bay, a sailor and his dog are hoisted to safety
The 37-foot sailing yacht Chusan ran aground on rocks near Winyah Bay, off Georgetown, South Carolina. The skipper radioed for help in the evening, and a Coast Guard MH-65 helicopter lifted him and his dog clear, unhurt.
What happened.
On the evening of 14 February 2026 the 37-foot sailing yacht Chusan ran aground on rocks near Winyah Bay, off Georgetown, South Carolina. The skipper radioed for help around 6:16 p.m., and a Coast Guard MH-65 helicopter hoisted him and his dog to safety at Georgetown Airport with no injuries.
On the evening of Friday 14 February 2026, the 37-foot sailing yacht Chusan ran aground on rocks near the entrance to Winyah Bay, off Georgetown, South Carolina. The skipper radioed for help at about 6:16 p.m., and a Coast Guard MH-65 Dolphin from Air Facility Charleston flew out and hoisted him and his dog off the stranded boat, landing them at Georgetown Airport with no injuries. A caught-on-video rescue made the news, but the seamanship is in how the boat got there: a rocky margin at a bay entrance, in failing evening light, is exactly where an approach laid a little too close, a set of the current, or an unmarked hazard puts a keel on the stones. The good decisions were the ones after the grounding — a prompt radio call while the crew and the dog were still safe aboard, rather than waiting until the hull was holed and filling. Grounding on rock is not the same as a soft touch on sand: the boat can be lost quickly, so getting people (and pets) off safely becomes the priority.
What it teaches.
- 1Grounding on rock is not a soft touch on sand — a holed hull can fill and the boat can be lost quickly. Know the rocky margins on your approach, especially at a bay entrance where currents set, and give them a wide berth in poor light.
- 2The right move here was calling for help early — while the skipper and his dog were still safe aboard — rather than waiting until the situation worsened. A timely radio call let a helicopter reach them before the boat's fate mattered to their safety.
Where this comes from.
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