CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – The Coast Guard assisted and brought two disabled fishing vessels to safety, near Port O’Connor, Saturday.
At approximately 9 p.m. Friday, watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Corpus Christi received a radio call from the captain of fishing vessel Capt. Bubba, requesting assistance after it became disabled while transiting through the Matagorda Jetties.
The Coast Guard launched a boatcrew aboard a 25-foot Defender Class Boat, which located the vessel outside of the channel, but without propulsion the Capt. Bubba was still a hazard to the shipping lane. A 45 foot Response Boat-Medium boatcrew was then launched from Coast Guard Station Port O’Connor, which took the Capt Bubba in tow to a nearby anchorage where it is conducting repairs.
At 9 a.m. Saturday, the Coast Guard received a distress call from the a crewmember aboard the Margie L, which was disabled 25 miles offshore from Port O’Connor. When communications were lost with the Margie L., Sector Corpus Christi immediately diverted an aircrew aboard an HU-25 Falcon jet and an aircrew aboard an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Coast Guard Air Station Corpus Christi. A boatcrew aboard a 45-foot RBM from Station Port O’Connor was also launched to locate the fishing vessel.
The HU-25 Falcon aircew located the Margie L and dropped a radio to their crew. The 45-RBM boatcrew arrived on scene and took them in tow to an anchorage area. Commercial salvage is enroute to provide further assistance.
“A disabled fishing vessel, whether in a busy ship channel or offshore, can be a serious hazard to the crew, other vessels and economic commerce,” said Lt. Cdr. Nathan Allen, the search and rescue mission coordinator for the cases. “The Sector Corpus Christi watchstanders and responding assets did a great job providing a rapid response and prevented a potentially hazardous situation.”
