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Delaware dispatchers help boaters stranded in England

Dispatchers in Dover, Del. were wrongly called for an emergency in Dover, England. Here's what happened next.

DOVER, Del. — We're getting uplifted by an emergency responder making a lifesaving impact all the way on the other side of the world. We all know how stressful it can be in an emergency situation, especially if you have to call for help. But what happens when you dial the wrong number and they pick up an entire ocean away?

What began as a mistake call from Europe became an international life-saving effort by police communications operators in Dover, Delaware. 

The call came from Albania. The caller told dispatchers his brother's boat was sinking off the coast of Dover, England. The caller had called the wrong Dover. Fortunately for that caller, dispatcher Mackenzie Atkinson answered. She said she took it as if it were local.

"I just kept him on the line, told him my partner was starting help. Then I gave Connor the coordinates the male subject had given me. We started to put them and and figure out where he was located," Atkinson said.

With the coordinates, Connor Logan called local and international agencies. He finally made contact with the French Coast Guard, who saved the vessel. Everyone on the boat was rescued and brought back to shore safely.

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