NEWBURYPORT, Mass. (Tribune News Service) — For decades, local mariners knew that should they run into trouble while traveling through the mouth of the Merrimack River or hugging the nearby coastline, the U.S Coast Guard would be there within minutes.

But that’s likely to change soon as the Coast Guard shifts rescue operations from Station Merrimack River to Station Gloucester as part of a nationwide reorganization due to declining staff levels, according to the city’s harbormaster.

In preparation for the shift, Harbormaster Paul Hogg’s department will be picking up the slack.

Hogg confirmed Station Merrimack River is losing its surf status, which means Coast Guard crews won’t be responding to local emergencies from Station Merrimack River, but will instead be coming from stations in Gloucester or Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

That puts Hogg’s department on the front lines in terms of responding to marine emergencies.

“This is going to be difficult for my department because we can only respond to so much on our boats,” he said. “We don’t have the 47-foot surf boats that they have.”

The Coast Guard did not return requests for comment.

But according to an Oct. 31, 2023, news release, it will be adjusting operations this year to make up for fewer staff.

“The Coast Guard is short nearly 10% of the entire enlisted workforce and cannot continue to operate as we have historically with fewer people,” the release reads.

Although there will be no loss of search and rescue capabilities, the Coast Guard will temporarily adjust operations to prioritize life-saving missions, national security and protecting the marine transportation system, the release indicates.

“The Coast Guard cannot maintain the same level of operations with our current shortfall — we cannot do the same with less. Conducting our missions is often inherently dangerous, and doing so without enough crew puts our members and the American public at increased risk,” wrote Admiral Linda Fagan and Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard Heath Jones.

It’s important for boaters to know that the local response to an emergency will be different this year than in the past, when Coast Guard boats were at the ready almost immediately, Hogg said.

“This will be a lot more work, but I can still do so much with what we have and the Fire Department’s new (25-foot rescue) boat,” he said. “We’re already working with the Coast Guard in our planning and coming up with strategies to move forward, as we work as a team with them. This came from above for them and then got reclassified.”

More of his employees are becoming certified as emergency medical technicians and they’re also beginning to step up their training regimens but acknowledged there was “only so much” his department could tackle.

“There’s been nothing official from the Coast Guard,” he said. “But we’ll be adding patrols and extra watches out there on our end. We’re trying to keep an eye on things and get through the season by keeping everyone as safe as possible.”

The shallow mouth of the Merrimack River runs past Salisbury and Plum Island and can be very dangerous to traverse. In October, a 22-foot center console vessel capsized with two mariners aboard near the mouth of the river.

Hogg wants to make sure that local boaters are aware of the situation so they can be better prepared when they’re on the water.

“I don’t want them going out and hitting a sandbar,” he said. “Then have them coming back and they can’t get in, if something happens and we’re not going to be able to respond to it.”

Mayor Sean Reardon deferred to the Coast Guard for any official statements on its status in Newburyport. However, Chief of Staff Andrew Levine said the harbormaster’s office provides a great deal of support, but is no substitute for Station Merrimack River.

“At this time we will do our best to work with the Coast Guard, the harbormaster and the Harbor Commission to get education out to boaters and keep the Merrimack River as safe as possible,” he said.

A phone call to U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton’s office seeking comment was not returned Wednesday.

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