Cynthia Sullivan died Thursday night due to the injuries she sustained from the fire and the swim she made to the small island on Monday from the burning boat, son Chris Sullivan said in a social media post.
A woman who was rescued off Naushon by the Coast Guard after her boat caught fire died this week, according to a family member.
Cynthia Sullivan died Thursday night due to the injuries she sustained from the fire and the swim she made to the small island on Monday from the burning boat, son Chris Sullivan said in a social media post.
Ms. Sullivan was aboard Third Wave, the family’s 30-foot pleasure craft, with her husband Patrick and their son Tyler. The family left Eel Pond in Falmouth last Friday and intended to anchor off the Vineyard coast through the weekend before returning Tuesday.
The family was asleep on the vessel when the fire broke out Monday morning. Anchored off the small island that is just north of the Vineyard, the Sullivans were able to escape the blaze by swimming to Naushon’s shore.
There, the family took refuge in a barn on the private island. The family was stranded for more than a day and had no way of calling for help until the boat’s radio washed ashore. A mayday call went out on Wednesday and the U.S. Coast Guard rescued the family.
Ms. Sullivan suffered serious injuries and the whole family was flown to Cape Cod Hospital for treatment.
“My mom passed last night. She went in peace,” Chris Sullivan wrote on Facebook Friday morning. “We played her some John Mellencamp as she passed, he was her absolute favorite, she adored him. This hurts more than anything I could have ever imagined, I am leaning on my close friends and family and my two young children.”
Ms. Sullivan’s husband was awake and breathing on his own, and Chris Sullivan credited his brother Tyler for saving the family from the fire.
“My brother saved both of them, he was able to get them off the boat under extremely chaotic circumstances,” Mr. Sullivan wrote. “He doesn’t want to be called a hero, but he is.”
A GoFundMe has been started to help the Sullivan family with funeral expenses and the recovery process.
Chris Sullivan also thanked people who had supported his family through this hard time.
“Again, thank you for all the support, it means the world,” he wrote. “Please pray for my mom. She was the most caring, loving, tough woman I have ever known.”
Comments
God bless.
Eben West TisburyGod bless.
Terrible to hear. Cell
Local Boater VineyardTerrible to hear. Cell coverage along the Elizabeth Islands, and Up-Island MV for that matter is awful. It's worse than it was 15 years ago. May not have been a factor in this exact situation but better cell coverage could very well save lives in the future.
A cell tower on Peaked Hill
Kenny ChilmarkA cell tower on Peaked Hill is long over due. It would cover up island and much of the water near the Elizabeth Islands.
Naushon has good coverage.
Albert GosnoldNaushon has good coverage.
I have never failed to have good signal near any of the houses.
Regretably, two sweet dogs
Robin Canha West TisburyRegretably, two sweet dogs were left behind on the boat to perish. One belonging to the parents was around two years old. The other was ten, and his name was named Buddy. Buddy's barking woke them up to alert them of the fire, but neither dog was saved in the chaos. My dog would walk with Buddy on occassion, and walked with him only a few days before this tragedy. We never suspected when we took that walk that it was for the last time. Three souls were lost in this tragedy. Rest in peace, beautiful pups.
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