CLEVELAND — A rescue boatcrew from Coast Guard Station Oswego, N.Y., assisted three boaters aboard a disabled vessel near Sodus Bay, Friday afternoon.
All three individuals were wearing life jackets and there were no reported injuries.
Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Buffalo, N.Y., received a distress call sent from the vessel via marine band radio at about 1 p.m.
The boatcrew from Station Oswego was already underway aboard a 25-foot Response Boat-Small and found the vessel anchored about 100 yards from the Sodus Bay breakwall. The boatcrew towed the disabled vessel to a local marina.
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.
