CLEVELAND – A rescue boatcrew from U.S Coast Guard Station Toledo, Ohio, rescued three people about a ½ nautical mile from Station Toledo, Thursday afternoon.
Rescued were a 65-year-old man and two women. Their names are not being released.
All three individuals were wearing life jackets.
The communications watchstander at Station Toledo heard a mayday call from a 20-foot pleasure craft at 3:30 p.m. on VHF-FM radio channel 16.
The boatcrew immediately launched aboard a 41-foot Utility Boat and found the vessel taking on water near Grassy Island in Maumee Bay. The three individuals were brought aboard the UTB while Coast Guardsmen de-watered the vessel. The boatcrew towed the vessel to the Bay View Yacht Club in Toledo.
A marine band radio is the best way to contact the Coast Guard or marine response agencies if you are in distress on the water. When a mayday is sent out via VHF-FM radio it is a broadcast, not just a one-to-one communication as when made via phone. When mariners ask for help on a marine radio, any nearby boaters can hear the distress call and offer immediate assistance. Channel 16 is the international distress frequency and should be used for emergencies only.
