ALAMEDA, Calif. — The Coast Guard is currently assisting with a rescue of four people aboard their 45-foot trimaran approximately 150-miles west of Point Reyes.
At approximately 7 a.m., Coast Guard District 11 received notification from an on-shore contact that the trimaran, Defiance, from Honolulu en route to Sausalito, was taking on water. The Coast Guard immediately requested the container vessel, CVAS, from Mexico, and the Coast Guard Cutter Midgett, from Seattle, to divert and assist in the rescue.
The crew of the Defiance reported taking on water after hitting something in the water, which damaged the port side of the vessel’s hull. The crew was able to maintain the vessel from taking on excessive amounts of water by maneuvering the vessel to a safe zone.
The container vessel arrived on scene by 1 p.m. Upon arrival, the crew passed emergence suits to the crew of the vessel and monitored the condition of the crew and vessel until the CGC Midgett was on scene.
The CGC Midgett arrived on scene at approximately 6 p.m. The crew of the cutter assessed the damages to the vessel and concluded it was salvageable and seaworthy. The CGC Midgett is currently escorting the vessel towards Monterey, expecting to arrive Thursday.
This incident serves as a reminder to the boating public to ensure there is a life jacket available for every person onboard the vessel and to wear life jackets while underway, regardless of the weather conditions. As we approach a holiday weekend where there may be more vessels on the water than usual, members of the boating public are reminded to reduce risk factors, file a float plan with a friend or family member and have a working VHF-FM radio and emergency position indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) on board. Doing these simple tasks could save your live or the life of your passengers.
Additional information on safe and secure boating practices can be found at the Coast Guard’s Office of Boating Safety page at http://www.uscgboating.org/.
