CHAUMONT BAY, New York (WWNY) – Two Fort Drum men are \u201cextremely lucky to be alive\u201d after their boat sank, leaving them struggling in the frigid water of Lake Ontario for nearly an hour, Chaumont\u2019s fire chief said.<\/p>\n
It happened on Chaumont Bay on Monday afternoon.<\/p>\n
Chaumont Fire Chief William Lipczynski said two men were fishing in a small boat when it capsized, possibly because it was too small for the powerful waves on the water.<\/p>\n
The men, wearing life jackets, called 911 as their boat sank, leaving them in the water where temperatures were in the 30s, Lipczynski said.<\/p>\n
Drone spots victims<\/p>\n
Dispatchers tried to ping the caller\u2019s phone to pinpoint their location, but the water was too swift, according to the chief.<\/p>\n
A Cape Vincent firefighter arrived at the scene with his personal drone and was able to spot the duo only because one of the men was wearing a bright blue life jacket, Lipczynski said.<\/p>\n
Boats called in from Watertown<\/p>\n
The Watertown Fire Department was called to bring its boats to the bay to rescue the men because Chaumont and Cape Vincent\u2019s boats are still in winter storage, he said.<\/p>\n
Watertown Fire Capt. Allen Mullin said it took them about 20 minutes to get to the men.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause of the high waves, we weren\u2019t able to see them when we were in the boat, so we had to use spotters, people on shore pointing out where they were,\u201d said Mullin. \u201cThe primary thing is to get out there and get them in the boat, especially in these conditions where it\u2019s very cold. They\u2019re already hypothermic, so we need to get them to shore and get them to warmer conditions.\u201d<\/p>\n
Helicopters standing by<\/p>\n
Lipczynski said two helicopters were standing by and airlifted the men to Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse.<\/p>\n
The men were suffering from hypothermia. Lipczynski believed they had been in the water for up to an hour.<\/p>\n
Both men were wearing multiple layers of clothing, which probably helped them survive, the chief said.<\/p>\n
Lipczynski said Lake Ontario is \u201cunforgiving\u201d this time of year due to its cold temperatures and fast-moving current from snow runoff.<\/p>\n
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