CLEVELAND — A rescue boatcrew from Coast Guard Station Manistee, Mich., assisted three boaters aboard a disabled vessel in Lake Michigan, Sunday morning.
All three individuals were wearing life jackets and there were no reported injuries.
Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Lake Michigan, in Milwaukee, received a distress call sent from the vessel via marine band radio at about 6:30 a.m.
The boatcrew from Coast Guard Station Manistee launched aboard a 25-foot Response Boat-Small and found the vessel drifting against the Manistee breakwall. The boatcrew safely towed the disabled vessel to the 1st Street boat ramp.
Life jackets save lives. Drowning is the leading cause of death in boating-related mishaps. And, most boating fatalities are the result of unexpected falls overboard, either while a vessel is underway or drifting. Of those who drown, 90 percent were not wearing a life jacket. Wearing a life jacket helps ensure a boater stays afloat so they can either self-rescue or be rescued by other boaters in the area.
All mariners are encouraged to invest in a VHF-FM marine-band radio as their primary means of communication on the water. VHF-FM marine-band radios are far more reliable than cells phones in the marine environment. VHF-FM Channel 16, the international hailing and distress channel, is monitored by the Coast Guard and state marine patrols around the clock. In addition, distress calls broadcast over VHF-FM Channel 16 will be heard by all mariners in the vicinity. Urgent safety information and weather reports for boaters are also broadcast over marine band radio channels.
