U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Johanna Strickland.
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Coast Guard rescue 6 boaters from the water after their vessel capsized and sunk Friday 8 nautical miles offshore Port O’Connor, Texas.
Coast Guard Sector/Air Station Corpus Christi watchstanders received a mayday call via VHF Channel 16 at 11 a.m. stating a 21-foot center console was taking on water with six people aboard and at risk of capsizing.
The vessel was equipped with a personal locator beacon which provided a position of the vessel to watchstanders and GPS coordinates were pulled from a cell phone and provided as the vessel began to sink.
A Station Port O’Connor 45-foot Response Boat-Medium (RB-M) boat crew and a Sector/Air Station Corpus Christi MH-65 Dolphin rescue helicopter aircrew launched to assist.
U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Kelly Parker.
The RB-M crew arrived on scene and located 6 boaters in the water who were all wearing lifejackets. The crew recovered all persons from the water and safely transported them to Froggies marina.
The capsized vessel had completely sunk and no injuries were reported.
«This case exemplifies why it’s important to have life jackets and communications equipment aboard your vessel,» said Petty Officer 2nd Class Derik McClain, Coast Guard Station Port O’Connor coxswain. «The response boat crew was able to locate this vessel and account for all passengers without delay because the owner was prepared.»
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