Coast Guard rescues Barstool Sports’ Captain Dave Portnoy

The Coast Guard rescued Barstool Sports’ founder Dave Portnoy after an incident off Nantucket, Massachusetts, the sports and pop culture company leader shared Monday on his social media.

“Captain Dave almost was lost to the ocean, mother ocean,” he said in the video. “No power, no radio, no anchor, no nothing. Heavy, heavy winds. Next thing you know, Captain Dave is lost at sea.”

The social media personality and new media baron, donning a captain’s hat on a beach near the water, recounted how the events unfolded.

The Coast Guard confirmed to WBZ-TV that the vessel owned by Portnoy “broke free of its mooring in Nantucket Harbor and was drifting through the area,” adding that Coast Guard members on a training exercise were able to tow the boat back to land.

Trying to not crash into other ships, Portnoy said he shot a distress flare into the sky to get attention before another boater reached him and used their radio to call for assistance.

“We are glad that he used distressed signals and applaud the Good Samaritan for having a VHF radio ready to hail the Coast Guard,” the Coast Guard told the outlet.

Portnoy quipped that he may not ever go on a boat again.

In May, the U.S. Coast Guard released its 2023 calendar year statistics on recreational boating incidents, reporting a decrease in fatalities and incidents.

The Coast Guard First District did not immediately respond to an email request for comment.