BEAUFORT INLET, N.C. – Coast Guard, Navy, and Marine Corps crews rescued eight people participating in the Barta, Boys and Girls Club fishing tournament Friday morning after their vessel began taking on water.
At approximately 9 a.m. Sector North Carolina received notification of a vessel taking on water and launched a 47-foot response boat from Coast Guard Station Fort Macon, N.C and the Coast Guard cutter Albacore. Also responding were a Pedro helicopter from the Marine Corps Base at Cherry Point and the Navy ship USS Tempest homeported in Little Creek, N.C.
The Pedro arrived on scene, located the sunken vessel and recovered one from the water. Crews from the Coast Guard and Navy rescued the remaing seven, and all were taken to Sector North Carolina. There were no reports of injuries.
Before noon on Friday, U.S. Coast Guard Sector North Carolina and the U.S. Marine Corps Pedro had also responded to a separate case involving a 19-foot skiff that capsized near Bogue Inlet with five people on board. All five were recovered by Tow Boat U.S. and Sea Tow.