ALAMEDA, Calif. – The Coast Guard rescued seven boaters who became stranded in a 17-foot boat in the shallow waters near Ryer Island in Suisun Bay last night.
The seven boaters, comprised of three adults and four children, ages 3, 4, 11, and 12, were unharmed in the incident.
Coast Guard Sector San Francisco received the call via cell phone at approximately 10:30 p.m. last night, and a 25-foot response boat from Coast Guard Station Vallejo was launched to provide assistance. However, due to the shallow water and draft of the Coast Guard response boat, the rescue crew was unable to get close enough to assist the boat. The Coast Guard crew remained on scene throughout the night to ensure the safety of those aboard the stranded boat.
Early this morning, a Pacific Area Strike Team crew from Novato, Calif., provided assistance with their shallow water boat. The Strike Team arrived on scene at approximately 7 a.m., and was able to transfer all seven boaters from the stranded vessel to the Coast Guard response boat. The response boat crew brought the stranded boaters to Station Vallejo where they arrived safely at approximately 10:00 a.m.. The Strike Team crew took the 17-foot boat in tow and transferred it to Station Vallejo.
September is National Preparedness Month and the Coast Guard urges boaters to prepare for every circumstance before taking to the water. This includes preparing for the weather and sea conditions, and having enough water, food, blankets, and sun protection for the duration of the trip. Every person on the boat should have a properly fitting life jacket on the boat, and all children under the age 13 need to wear the life jacket while on deck. All boaters should have a VHF-radio on board with Channel 16 capabilities in case an emergency arises. Boater should also ensure that all of their safety equipment, such as flares, fire extinguishers, and emergency positioning indicating radio beacons are in good working order. All boaters should also remain aware of significant tidal changes that are common within the Bay Area.
For more information on boating safety and boating safety tips please visit the National Boating Safety website at http://www.uscgboating.org/.
