Smith Point Sea Rescue

Smith Point Sea Rescue All-Volunteer 501C3 charity Marine Rescue Organization providing 24/7/365 assistance to all boaters in the Mid Chesapeake Bay area. Beatley and his wife, Vera.

SPSR does not charge for its assistance, receives no government funding, operates off the funding it receives from donors Smith Point Sea Rescue had its origin in the heart and mind of Dr. Robert E. The desire to form this squad followed the successful rescue of a father and two young children. This threesome had spent a chilly November night hanging onto the bow of a sunken boat in the bay near R

eedville. In the fall of 1973, Dr. Beatley's dream came true. Smith Point Sea Rescue was born. Smith Point Sea Rescue, Inc. was officially organized in 1974 as a volunteer sea rescue service. Its 49 members comprise one of the last remaining all Volunteer Sea Rescue unit on the Chesapeake Bay. Members share duties year round, 24 hours a day to maintain equipment, conduct training, and respond to search and rescue missions and assist the boaters. Smith Point Sea Rescue covers the middle Chesapeake Bay between the Lower Potomac River and the Rappahannock River. All members are volunteers. Smith Point Sea Rescue has gone from rather humble beginnings, where members volunteered their boats as well as themselves, to its current formidable and prestigious unit. Today it has multiple boats it operates in providing services to the boaters of the Northern Neck. Presently serving Smith Point Sea Rescue is a
42 foot Provincial (Rescue I)
32 foot Carman (Rescue II)
27 foot Blackfin (Rescue III)
Several smaller boats for working in shallow water areas. Rescue I is kept on Cockrell's Creek off the Great Wicomico River, Rescue II is kept at Olverson's Lodge Creek Marina and serves the lower Potomac River. and Rescue III is kept at Smith Point Marina and servers the Little River and Smith Point areas. Smith Point Sea Rescue, receives no regular monetary support from any federal, state or local government agencies. Funds are derived from donations and fund raising events such as the Oyster Roast and an annual solicitation campaign. Smith Point Sea Rescue has a tax-exempt status [501 (c)3] from the Internal Revenue Service. Smith Point Sea Rescue has no paid or financially compensated employees or volunteers. Member compensation is in knowing they helped a fellow neighbor. Please consider donating to:
Smith Point Sea Rescue
PO Box 662
Burgess, VA 22432

Visit our WWW.SmithPointSeaRescue.com and use Pay Pal Giving. In response to several requests, Smith Point Sea Rescue has established an account with Davenport & Co. to accept donations of financial investments. Smith Point Sea Rescue, is pleased to help boaters in their time of need. It monitors VHF Channel 16. Sea Rescue may also be reached through the Northumberland Sheriff's office at 804-580-5221 or 911. Smith Point Sea Rescue does not charge for any assistance it provides boaters. Smith Point Sea Rescue.....
"there when needed."

0800 Sunday 24 May 2026 — At the request of its Captain, RESCUE III es**rted a large 40’ Power Catamaran safely out thro...
05/24/2026

0800 Sunday 24 May 2026 — At the request of its Captain, RESCUE III es**rted a large 40’ Power Catamaran safely out through the Little Wicomico River jetties at Smith Point. SPSR had previously ungrounded the CAT from the jetties earlier in the week, and the Captain requested assistance for departure transit back through the jetties. The CAT then continued safely on its voyage to NYC. Total time 1 Hour. KS SPSR...."there when needed"

Bill Turville: Editor

At 2030 hours on Friday, May 22, 2026, Smith Point Sea Rescue (SPSR) received a call from the USCG regarding a disabled ...
05/23/2026

At 2030 hours on Friday, May 22, 2026, Smith Point Sea Rescue (SPSR) received a call from the USCG regarding a disabled vessel near the mouth of the Potomac River that required assistance.
SPSR assembled a crew of three and dispatched RESCUE I from Smith Point Marina. While exiting the jetties at the mouth of the Little Wicomico River, RESCUE I encountered extremely rough seas and high winds, which precluded re-entry that night.
En route to the disabled boat, SPSR received word from the Northumberland County Sheriff's Office that Ridge Fire Boat FOUR was already on scene and that the disabled vessel’s captain had managed to get one engine running and intended to proceed to Smith Point Marina for the night.
Due to the heavy seas and the known shoaling conditions within the jetties, SPSR advised against attempting entry into Smith Point. Instead, SPSR recommended diverting approximately 12 miles south to Reedville and offered es**rt and navigation assistance. The captain agreed, and both vessels proceeded safely and without incident to Shell Landing on Cockrell Creek.

Total mission time: 3.5 hours. SPSR — “There when needed.”
Bill Turville: Editor

Tuesday 19 May 2026, SPSR receives a request from a local boater to help move a disabled 27' Regal from his pier to Lodg...
05/23/2026

Tuesday 19 May 2026, SPSR receives a request from a local boater to help move a disabled 27' Regal from his pier to Lodge Landing for haulout and repairs. SPSR coordinates a time and dispatches RESCUE II and a crew of three to assist. Move is completed, Easy peasy, lemon squeesy! Total time 1 hours. KH. SPSR....."there when needed."

Bill Turville: Editor

At 1300 on Thursday, May 21, 2026, Smith Point Sea Rescue was dispatched by the NCSO for a 40-foot Leopard power catamar...
05/21/2026

At 1300 on Thursday, May 21, 2026, Smith Point Sea Rescue was dispatched by the NCSO for a 40-foot Leopard power catamaran aground in the jetties at the entrance to the Little Wicomico River. RESCUE I, with a crew of three, responded from Smith Point Marina, assisted by a member’s skiff used to tow lines.
The catamaran was able to free itself and proceeded toward the marina, where it subsequently grounded again. RESCUE I responded, ungrounded the vessel, and es**rted it safely into the piers. Total response time was 1.5 hours.
KS “SPSR there when needed.”
This is the second transient vessel in a week to run aground in the jetties at Smith Point.

The Little Wicomico River was once known as a welcoming and reliable refuge for transient boaters seeking shelter from rough weather on the Bay. Today, worsening shoaling in the jetties is rapidly changing that reputation.
While the VMRC, NNPDC, Northumberland County, and partner agencies continue working to advance the emergency dredging project, conditions in the channel are deteriorating faster than the permitting and dredging process can keep pace. As shoaling worsens, more transient boaters are beginning to view the Little Wicomico River not as a safe harbor, but as a waterway to avoid.

Bill Turville: Editor

1530 12 May 26 SPSR is dispatched by NCSO for a disabled sailboat aground in Ingram Bay needing assistance. RESCUE III,...
05/13/2026

1530 12 May 26 SPSR is dispatched by NCSO for a disabled sailboat aground in Ingram Bay needing assistance. RESCUE III, with a crew of four, responds from Cockrell Creek and meets a member and his skiff already on scene near the entrance to Towles Creek. The skiff tows a line, and RESCUE III pulls the sailboat free to anchorage in deeper water. The skiff then returns to Ingram Bay Marina and retrieves the sailboat owner's dog......waiting on the pier. Total time 2.0 hrs PO. Smith Point Sea Rescue......" there when needed"

Bill Turville: Editor

0730 Thursday, May 7, 2026, Sea Rescue received a call from the Northumberland County Sheriff’s Office reporting that a ...
05/07/2026

0730 Thursday, May 7, 2026, Sea Rescue received a call from the Northumberland County Sheriff’s Office reporting that a 47-foot trawler was stuck on the sandbar at the mouth of the Little Wicomico River.

Smith Point Sea Rescue responded with Rescue I from inside the jetties at Smith Point Marina, along with a member’s boat responding from the Little River area. Crews located the transient vessel hard aground on the western end of the jetties as the tide was rapidly falling. SPSR successfully ungrounded the trawler, and the member’s boat then guided the vessel through the very narrow channel and safely back out into the bay. Total response time was approximately 1.5 hours. KS. SPSR..."there when needed"

This incident is another example of the hazardous conditions in and around the jetties at Smith Point on the Little Wicomico River for both transient and local boaters. While a very small channel may be open at times, the jetties are essentially closed to most larger vessels and transient boaters.

Bill Turville: Editor

Thank you, Jett's Marine Inc., for inviting Smith Point Sea Rescue to your open house, we had a great time. We met many ...
05/03/2026

Thank you, Jett's Marine Inc., for inviting Smith Point Sea Rescue to your open house, we had a great time. We met many new people and shared stories with old friends. We also enlisted two new members for the future. Be safe!

Bill Turville: Editor

0830 Monday 4/20/26, SPSR received a request from the Northumberland Sheriff’s Office to investigate and assist a sailbo...
04/20/2026

0830 Monday 4/20/26, SPSR received a request from the Northumberland Sheriff’s Office to investigate and assist a sailboat reported aground near Vir-Mar Beach on the Potomac River. RESCUE I, with a crew of four, responded and located a 30-foot sloop hard aground approximately 50 yards offshore in very shallow water near Flag Pond. No vessel identification numbers were visible. SPSR documented the vessel with photographs and notified the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) and the Virginia Marine Resources Commission (VMRC). SPSR then learned that the USCG had previously rescued the boaters and anchored the vessel near Solomons, Maryland on Sunday due to unsafe towing conditions during the storm. With the vessel now located, the USCG will notify the owner and TowBoatUS to arrange for its removal. KS Total TIme 3.0 Hrs SPSR....... "there when needed"

Smith Point Sea Rescue is not a salvage company and does not have authority to take custody of abandoned vessels without the owner’s direct permission or direction from a civil authority. SPSR does, however, assist marine authorities and vessel owners with the recovery and securing of disabled boats.

Bill Turville: Editor

1300 Friday 4/10/26 Smith Point Sea Rescue (SPSR) gets a call from the Northumberland County Sheriff's Office that a 25'...
04/10/2026

1300 Friday 4/10/26 Smith Point Sea Rescue (SPSR) gets a call from the Northumberland County Sheriff's Office that a 25' Grady White had engine problems at the mouth of Ingram Bay. Because it was low tide and the area had shallow water, SPSR dispatched Rescue III and its shallow water Rescue A skiff, with a total crew of five. Rescue A located the boat, with two on board, at anchor off Fariport near Red 8. Rescue A delivered a tow line, and then Rescue III towed the Grady White to Shell Landing for haul out. Total time 2.25 Hrs BT. SPSR....." there when needed"

Bill Turville: Editor

1745 Friday 4/3/26 SPSR receives a call from the Northumberland Sheriff's Office that a 28' Sabre Sailboat had experienc...
04/05/2026

1745 Friday 4/3/26 SPSR receives a call from the Northumberland Sheriff's Office that a 28' Sabre Sailboat had experienced an engine failure near Green 7 in the Potomac River. Rescue II with a crew of four responds from Lodge Creek Marina and locates the sailboat near where indicated. Rescue II takes the sailboat in tow to Lewisetta Marina for haul out and repair. Total time 3.5 Hrs PA

The Spring Boating Season Is Well Underway, and Smith Point Sea Rescue is ....."there when needed."

Bill Turville; Editor

Address

PO Box 662
Burgess, VA
22432

Telephone

+18045805221

Website

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