A Coast Guard Station Port O’Connor boat crew photographs an adrift vessel near Matagorda Bay, Texas on Feb. 12, 2022. (U.S. Coast Guard photo, courtesy Station Port O’Connor)
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Coast Guard rescued five people from a fishing vessel beset by weather 8 miles offshore Matagorda Bay, Texas, Saturday.
Coast Guard Sector/Air Station Corpus Christi watchstanders received a call on VHF-FM channel 16 that a 19-foot pleasure craft was beset by weather, but were unable to establish communications with the five people aboard.
Watchstanders issued an urgent marine information broadcast and launched a Coast Guard Station Port O’Connor 45-foot Response Boat–Medium crew and a Sector/Air Station Corpus Christi MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew to assist.
Shortly after the rescue crews launched, watchstanders received positional information from Calhoun County dispatch matching the description of the pleasure craft. The Dolphin and RB–M crews diverted from search patterns to the relayed position.
The RB–M crew arrived on scene and confirmed that the vessel was beset by 4-foot seas and 20-25 mph winds. Due to on-scene weather conditions, the boat crew was unable to tow the pleasure craft and instead embarked the five boaters and safely transported them to the Port O’Connor Fishing Center.
The adrift vessel’s owner will arrange for its salvage once weather permits.
“It is critical that all mariners check weather forecasts before getting out on the water,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Sabastian Sossamon, Coast Guard Station Port O’Connor coxswain. “Checking the weather can prevent dangerous situations like this one from happening. Thankfully, these boaters had a VHF-FM radio on board that allowed them to relay their distress.”
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