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Nathan Carman arrives in a small boat at the US Coast Guard station in Boston today. AP Photo/Michael Dwyer

Man found alive after 8 days at sea while his mother remains missing

Nathan Carman (22) of Vermont, spent seven days in a four-person, inflatable life raft after his 31-foot aluminium fishing boat sank.

A VERMONT MAN who spent a week at sea in a life raft before being rescued by a passing freighter arrived in Boston in the US today and was being questioned by Coast Guard officials.

Nathan Carman (22) of Vernon in Vermont, spent seven days in a four-person, inflatable life raft after his 31-foot aluminium fishing boat sank.

His mother, Linda Carman (54) of Middletown, Connecticut, is still missing and presumed dead, Coast Guard officials said.

Nathan Carman was taken to Boston by the same freighter that rescued him, then transported by a Coast Guard boat to shore.

He appeared healthy and alert. He didn’t speak as he stepped off the boat and was quickly taken to a waiting car.

Petty Officer 2nd Class LaNola Stone said the Coast Guard was conducting a “survivor debriefing” with Carman, a standard procedure for people who are rescued at sea.

“We want to find out what happened, what can we do better to aid a search and rescue in the future,” Stone said.

She said Carman was to be reunited with his family once the debriefing is completed.

Missing Boaters AP Photo / Michael Dwyer AP Photo / Michael Dwyer / Michael Dwyer

Carman and his mother set off for a fishing trip on 18 September but their boat sank.

The Coast Guard searched for the mother and son for days but called off the search Friday.

Nathan Carman was found by a passing freighter – in good condition – two days later. He was discovered off the coast of Massachusetts, about 100 nautical miles south of Martha’s Vineyard.

Petty Officer 3rd Class Nicole Groll said Coast Guard officials spoke by phone with Carman after he was rescued by the freighter. Groll said he said when his boat started to sink, it went down quickly.

“He looked for his mother and did not see her. He had some food and water, and he jumped into the life raft, and that was it,” Groll said yesterday.

No distress call

Groll said the Coast Guard did not receive a distress call, but she was unsure if the boat was equipped with a VHF radio that could be used to contact emergency personnel.

Family members have said Nathan Carman has Asperger’s syndrome, a form of autism.

Hubert Santos, a high-profile Connecticut attorney, told The Hartford Courant that his firm sent a lawyer to Boston to meet Carman.

Santos, who said he previously represented him on another matter, said his office has contacted the Coast Guard and the US attorney’s office in Connecticut and Massachusetts to let them know that whether “he needs a lawyer or not”.

Missing Boaters AP Photo / Michael Dwyer AP Photo / Michael Dwyer / Michael Dwyer

Carman has an attorney who wants to be present before any interviews are done.

Sharon Hartstein, a close friend of Linda Carman’s, said the mother and son regularly went on fishing trips together.

“They went fishing – that was one of their bonding things,” Hartstein said.

When he was available, she tried to make time so she could spend time with him.

Hartstein said Linda Carman worked to help children with autism with daily tasks, including dressing and shaving.

“She has connected with these families in such a way that they’re devastated, they are missing her and can’t imagine life without her,” Hartstein said.

The family was also struck by tragedy in 2013 when Linda Carman’s 87-year-old father, John Chakalos, a real estate developer from Windsor, Connecticut, was found fatally shot in his home.

The death was ruled a homicide; no arrest has been made. Earlier this year, the family offered a $250,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction of Chakalos’ killer.

Linda Carman’s mother, Rita Chakalos, died of cancer just weeks before her father was killed.

John and Rita Chakalos were philanthropists who split their time between Connecticut and Chesterfield, New Hampshire, where they had an estate known for its massive holiday lights display.

A will filed in the probate division of New Hampshire’s 8th Circuit Court shows that John Chakalos left an estate worth more than $42 million to his four adult daughters.

Read: Video shows woman pleading with Charlotte police not to shoot her husband

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14 Comments
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    Mute Stephen McMahon
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    Nov 18th 2013, 7:25 PM

    Love this NASA stuff. Amazing what we can achieve as a race, just over 100 years since man’s first flight!

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    Mute nialls
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    Nov 19th 2013, 12:10 AM

    Is it there yet?

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    Mute Eliza Mac
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    Nov 18th 2013, 8:06 PM

    I kinda hoped the name MAVEN had something to do with Professor Frink…

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    Mute Leila Gregory
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    Nov 18th 2013, 11:38 PM

    Just in case you’re interested, this rocket was designed by a Irish guy called Robert Lillis. He was in my year in school. It’s an amazing achievement!

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    Mute Ricky Spanish
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    Nov 18th 2013, 11:55 PM

    I dare say he was part of a team of designers.

    A solo run would be a bit of an ask!

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    Mute tom
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    Nov 19th 2013, 4:15 AM

    Who cares about the other guys.
    It’s a Irish guys design the others are just that others

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    Mute Alan Clarke
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    Nov 18th 2013, 7:18 PM

    I love to see a photo of a Snickers on Mars.

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    Mute Stephen McMahon
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    Nov 18th 2013, 7:24 PM

    In the Milky Way Galaxy?

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    Mute Derek Hatchell
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    Nov 18th 2013, 8:04 PM

    Whilst eating a star bar

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    Mute Kevin Dobson
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    Nov 18th 2013, 8:40 PM

    Is it really necessary to refer to it as an “unmanned mission” to Mars? If it was manned, I suspect we’d know about it?

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    Mute Jack Russell
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    Nov 18th 2013, 8:46 PM

    Continuous funny comment killer!

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    Mute Ricky Spanish
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    Nov 18th 2013, 11:54 PM

    Who let Buzz Killington in?

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    Mute Sacha Mahady
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    Nov 18th 2013, 11:30 PM

    Maybe the planet got married. That could explain why it got cold and dry.

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    Mute Horgay H
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    Nov 18th 2013, 7:44 PM

    Hmm, I wonder have they yet again handed over control of the imaging optics over to a private company. It is strange that NASA, albeit being a US Defence agency, which is funded by billions of tax dollars would outsource such a critical aspect of their missions.

    I for one am fascinated by the red planet and would like to know more.

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    Mute Tim O'Sullivan
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    Nov 18th 2013, 11:14 PM

    NASA is not a defense agency, their mission is explicitly science based, their funding & command are through non military channels

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    Mute John Boy
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    Nov 19th 2013, 12:32 AM

    NASA’ entire budget (800m dollars in 50 years) isn’t anywhere near the annual US defence budget (1 trillion dollars). As said above NASA is purely scientific, research and development. You can thank them for the likes of memory foam, shoe insoles and cordless power tools to name but a few!!

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    Mute John Boy
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    Nov 19th 2013, 1:06 AM

    Should read 800bn, I could blame my phone but I won’t!

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    Mute Jose Verandah
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    Nov 18th 2013, 8:23 PM

    Bit of a Mars exploration frenzy going on. India getting in on the act as well. There must be something of value in the geology and potentially extremely profitable to justify the combined expenditure on these missions. Follow the money..

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    Mute Gary
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    Nov 18th 2013, 8:30 PM

    It’s great the way India has joined the quest to learn more about mars but I hear the American Indians have a few reservations.

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    Mute Jose Verandah
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    Nov 18th 2013, 9:22 PM

    I was going to write a humorous reply to your reservation joke but it wasn’t Apache on yours. I Hopi we don’t get Siouxed for bad puns. I’ll get my Lakota..

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    Mute Bluebuster
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    Nov 18th 2013, 10:26 PM

    can we send enda kenny on this ship to mars lol

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