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The U.S. Coast Guard rescued two boaters southeast of Virginia Beach after their boat started sinking.

Credit: U.S. Coast Guard photo courtesy of Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — The U.S. Coast Guard rescued two boaters Thursday morning after their vessel began taking on water off the coast of Virginia Beach.

According to officials, 30-year-old Jeffrey Hudson and his father, 60-year-old Robert Hudson, sent out a distress call after their 57-foot sport fishing boat, "Turn Me Loose," started sinking and they were forced to abandon ship into a life raft.

Coast Guard officials said the distress call came in around 9:07 a.m. to Sector Virginia’s Command Center. The Hudsons reported their vessel was rapidly taking on water, and they were deploying their life raft.

Watchstanders immediately issued an urgent marine information broadcast and launched multiple rescue assets, including a 45-foot Response Boat-Medium from Coast Guard Station Little Creek, an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Air Station Elizabeth City, and the USCGC Pompano. The USCGC Calhoun and Virginia Beach Fire Boat 12 also joined the response after hearing the alert.

The Hudsons activated their Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon, which helped rescuers quickly find their exact location, which was about 34 miles southeast of Virginia Beach.

By 10:03 a.m., crews from the Calhoun and the Coast Guard helicopter arrived and found the men safe in their life raft. The Calhoun crew brought them aboard and conducted medical evaluations; no one was injured.

The father and son were then transferred to the Coast Guard response boat and transported to the Lynnhaven boat ramp, escorted by Virginia Beach Fire Boat 12, where they reunited with family.

“This successful rescue highlights the importance of preparedness and the effectiveness of coordinated efforts between multiple agencies and assets,” said Chief Warrant Officer 3 Daniel Butierries, command duty officer with Sector Virginia. “The quick response and the mariners’ preparedness significantly contributed to the rescue.”

The Turn Me Loose remains partially submerged about 30 miles off the coast. The Coast Guard has issued a broadcast notice advising mariners to steer clear of the area.

Acoustical Sheetmetal Company announces a $45.8 million expansion, creating 350 new jobs in Virginia Beach.

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Acoustical Sheetmetal Company, or ASC, a Virginia Beach-based company renowned for manufacturing highly engineered steel and aluminum for the power generation industry, announced it was undergoing its third expansion since 2019.

Governor Glenn Youngkin and Mayor Bobby Dyer were both on hand for Friday's announcement. The company said it will invest $45.8 million to build an additional 250,000 square-foot facility for fabrication and finishing operations, which is expected to create 350 new jobs.

"350 new jobs mean hundreds of new opportunities for Virginia families, and I’m proud to support the continued growth of the manufacturing industry in the Commonwealth," Youngkin said in a news release. "Great homegrown companies like ASC continue to see Virginia as the place to grow and build their future.”

Youngkin said the company purchased 21.1 acres of city-owned land, 17.5 of which are developable acres at the Virginia Beach Innovation Park to construct the new manufacturing facility.

After construction, ASC will have more than 550,000 square feet of production space, making it one of the largest enclosure manufacturers in the country and one of the largest employers in Virginia Beach.

"The expansion of Acoustical Sheetmetal marks a significant milestone not just for the company, but for the City of Virginia Beach as a whole," said Dyer. "Their continued growth will make them one of our city’s major employers, further solidifying Virginia Beach as a hub for advanced manufacturing and innovation. We are proud to support a company that exemplifies the spirit of entrepreneurship and the strength of our local economy."

Before Friday's announcement, ASC expanded into Virginia Beach's Innovation Park in 2020 and had recently celebrated the completion of its Phase II facility in 2024.

"This company believes in growth. This company believes in opportunity, and this company does it all right here in Virginia Beach," said Youngkin.

ASC CEO Margaret Shaia says she could not be more proud.

"Today has been very special," said Shaia. "To have recognition at the sitting level and now at the state level, we never thought that we were working for that, but given how hard we have worked, it feels really sweet."

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - Two boaters were rescued Thursday after their vessel began taking on water 34 miles off the coast of the mid-Atlantic, and the U.S. Coast Guard said the use of their Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) may have made the difference.

According to the agency, a father-and-son duo were aboard the 57-foot sport fishing vessel named "Turn Me Loose" when the boat began taking on water off the coast of Virginia Beach.

The boaters’ EPIRB transmitted their exact position to first responders, who were able to arrive at the site less than an hour after receiving the first distress call.

Upon arrival, rescue crews said they found 30-year-old Jeffrey Hudson and 60-year-old Robert Hudson adrift in an emergency life raft.

Both men were successfully transported to the USCGC Calhoun, where they underwent medical evaluations before being taken to shore.

(U.S. Coast Guard / FOX Weather)

US COAST GUARD UNVEILS FIRST POLAR ICEBREAKER IN MORE THAN 25 YEARS

Following their arrival in Virginia Beach, the two men were reunited with relieved family members.

Coast Guard leadership praised the quick response, which involved at least half a dozen boats and aviation units from around the region.

"This successful rescue highlights the importance of preparedness and the effectiveness of coordinated efforts between multiple agencies and assets," Daniel Butierries, a chief warrant officer with the U.S. Coast Guard, said in a statement. "The quick response and the mariners' preparedness significantly contributed to the rescue."

The agency highlighted the use of the EPIRB and other lifesaving equipment, which all marine vessels should have while venturing offshore.

The Coast Guard did not say what caused the vessel to start taking on water or if weather played a role.

WORLD’S LARGEST ICEBERG ON POSSIBLE COLLISION COURSE WITH ISLAND IN SOUTH ATLANTIC OCEAN

The boat remains partially submerged more than 30 miles offshore, which could be hazardous to unalert mariners.

The Coast Guard said it is broadcasting alerts to boaters in the area in an effort to help them stay clear of the debris and prevent a collision.

It remains unclear if the boat’s owner will attempt a salvage operation or if the vessel will simply sink to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean before such an effort commences.

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — The Coast Guard rescued two boaters Thursday morning after their vessel began taking on water 34 miles southeast of Virginia Beach.

Rescued were Jeffrey Hudson, 30, and Robert Hudson, 60.

Coast Guard Sector Virginia Command Center watchstanders received a distress call at approximately 9:07 a.m. from the crew of the 57-foot sport fisher Turn Me Loose, reporting their vessel was sinking and they were abandoning ship into their life raft.

The watchstanders issued an urgent marine information broadcast (UMIB) and directed the launch of Coast Guard Station Little Creek 45-foot Response Boat-Medium boatcrew, Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew, and the USCGC Pompano (WPB 87339). The crew of USCGC Calhoun (WMSL 759) and Virginia Beach Fire Boat 12 also responded after hearing the UMIB.

The two boaters activated their Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB), which allowed the Coast Guard to pinpoint their location.

At 10:03 a.m., the Calhoun crew and a rescue helicopter arrived on scene to find two men in a life raft. The Calhoun crew safely recovered both and performed a medical evaluation aboard with no reported injuries.

After the evaluation, the two were transferred to the Station Little Creek RB-M and transported to Lynnhaven boat ramp, escorted by Virginia Beach Fire Boat 12, where they were reunited with their family.

"This successful rescue highlights the importance of preparedness and the effectiveness of coordinated efforts between multiple agencies and assets," said Chief Warrant Officer 3 Daniel Butierries, Sector Virginia command duty officer. "The quick response and the mariners' preparedness significantly contributed to the rescue."

The Turn Me Loose remains partially submerged approximately 30 miles off the coast of Virginia Beach. The Coast Guard has issued a broadcast notice to advise mariners to avoid the submerged object.

-USCG-

With warmer temperatures comes the potential for more sharks, and experts provide tips on how to avoid negative interactions.

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Summer is on the horizon, which means warmer water, people heading to the beach, and the potential for more shark sightings.

Last June in the Sandbridge area of Virginia Beach, four people reported being bitten by something in the water, which officials have suspected was a shark.

May 28th of this year, a swimmer was injured in a possible shark attack off the coast of North Carolina, according to authorities.

To best navigate the potential of shark sightings or interactions, experts at the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Center are weighing in.

Skylar Snowden, Senior curator of fishes, herps and inverts, says sharks are largely misunderstood. "Just that respect that it is their world, it is their home, and we’re intruding in their home so we should keep that in mind too."

When it comes to sharks, Snowden says there are several shark species right off the coast encountering issues such as population increase and climate change. "Some of these sharks are migratory animals; they rely on those temperature changes yearly to be regular and normal, and we’re not seeing that."

Although these factors aide in the potential for more sharks in the area, we’re told the species are crucial to our ecosystem, and understanding that, will better "Sharks are in trouble, sharks are overfished, they are demonized, they are targeted, people don’t generally associate with sharks very well," says Snowden. "If sharks really wanted us, if we were truly on the menu, we would never go in the water."

There are precautions you can take when frequenting the beach. Snowden says avoid swimming at dusk and dawn, or swimming in schools of fish, and more importantly, when possible, avoid mimicking an animal in distress, especially if you spot a shark. "Sharks like to go after things that are sick, dead, dying, weak, or injured. The reason why they do that is because they’re easy targets, and that’s how they save and conserve energy."

Officials say the better we understand sharks, the better chance we have of avoiding negative shark interactions.

Virginia Beach EMS says if you are bitten or attacked by an animal while in the ocean, call 911 and try to find a lifeguard.