Barstool owner rescued by Coast Guard after losing control of boat off Nantucket
In an image taken from Monday, July 15, 2024, video, provided by Dave Portnoy, Portnoy speaks about his rescue at sea by the U.S. Coast Guard off the coast of the island of Nantucket, Mass. The Coast Guard confirms it rescued the founder of the Barstool Sports website after a boating accident off of Nantucket. (Dave Portnoy via AP)
The owner and founder of Barstool Sports lost control of a boat off Massachusetts before being rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard.
Dave Portnoy, 47, said in a TikTok video that the harrowing Monday rescue off Nantucket happened after he unhooked his boat from buoys. Heavy winds then caused him to drift out to sea, and his engine was dead, he said.
Portnoy said another boater saw that he was in distress and radioed the Coast Guard.
Coast Guard rescuers towed the boat back to mooring, Portnoy said. He said he appreciated the work of the “four burly dudes” who rescued him, and that he might be finished with boating for a while.
“Captain Dave lives to tell another tale. Third time as captain, already lost at sea. It’s a dangerous game, the sea’s angry my friends,” Portnoy said via TikTok.
Portnoy, who maintains a robust online presence and has millions of followers, used another social media channel, X, to thank the Coast Guard on Monday. The Coast Guard responded with a message for Miss Peaches, Portnoy’s pit bull.
“Any time, Dave,” the Coast Guard posted, with a pair of smiling emoji. “Tell Miss Peaches we love her.”
Portnoy founded Barstool Sports in 2003 in the Boston area. The sports and pop culture website has more than 16 million followers on Instagram.