RedactedNarrative: On July 5th, 2021 at 11:45 AM, Maryland Natural Resources Police, responded to a call for a sinking vessel in the Chesapeake Bay south of the Governor William Preston Lane Jr. Memorial Bridge (Bay Bridge) near coordinates 3858.774N, 76.2442W. Other officers from the Maryland Natural Resources Police responded as well. The caller, a good Samaritan, advised over Coast Guard channel 16 that there were two persons on board the sinking vessel. The good Samaritan picked the two individuals out of the water and brought them aboard their vessel.
  MNRP arrived on the scene at 11:55 AM. We located the good Samaritan vessel, a 2015 Sea Ray Sundancer Four Seventy, bearing the name Stella’s Way II (Coast Guard number SERP8414H415). Good Samaritan was speaking with Anne Arundel County Fire Boat 36. The occupants on board the Sea Ray advised that there were no injuries, and all occupants of the sinking vessel were accounted for. I boarded the good Samaritan vessel to speak with the individuals of the sinking vessel.
  The owner and operator of the vessel was identified as OPERATOR 1. The sinking vessel was an 18’ 1981 Viking. The vessel’s Hull Identification Number (HIN) is VBC1475GM81E. OPERATOR 1 stated that he and his brother-in-law were fishing aboard his vessel. They were floating west of the shipping channel when the motor died. OPERATOR 1 attempted to restart the motor when water began filling the vessel from the stern. The battery was not working properly, and the bilge pump could not keep up. Several large waves came over the stern and caused the vessel to sink. The only part of the vessel that was out of the water was the bow. OPERATOR 1 stated that he shot off a flare just before jumping off his vessel. OPERATOR 1 stated that all property on board the vessel was lost.
  OPERATOR 1 hired a commercial towboat to recover the sinking vessel. The vessel was towed back to the neighborhood boat launch.  OPERATOR 1 and PASSENGER put on personal floatation devices, boarded NRP 894, and were driven to Annapolis City Dock where they were picked up by family members.
  All events occurred in Anne Arundel County.
  