CORPUS CHRISTI — Three children and two adults were rescued, Thursday, when their boat capsized after taking on water, in the vicinity of the Packery Jetties, near Corpus Christi.
Rescued were two adults, a 7-year-old boy and two 13-year-old girls.
Watchstanders from Coast Guard Sector Corpus Christi received a call at 9:07 a.m. from the Corpus Christi Police Department saying the captain of a 21-foot recreation boat had called them and reported that his boat capsized and the five people onboard were in need of assistance.
I was scared,” said the 7-year-old boy that was rescued. “I thought I was hung up on the boat [when it overturned.]”
Sector Corpus Christi launched an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter and crew from Coast Guard Air Station Corpus Christi and a 45-foot Response Boat – Medium and crew from Coast Guard Station Port Aransas to assist. The crew of the helicopter lowered a rescue swimmer to help the children and one of the adults into the hoist basket. The four were taken to Naval Air Station Corpus Christi where local EMS was standing by. The swimmer and the captain of the vessel were brought aboard the response boat and taken to Station Port Aransas where local EMS was standing by.
“The life jacket was vital to their survival,” said Lt. Cmdr. Robin Stotz, a pilot with Air Station Corpus Christi. “Without it, it would have been a different story today.”
