An MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Houston approaches a man stranded on Matagorda Peninsula, Texas, April 18, 2023. (U.S. Coast Guard photo, courtesy Air Station Houston)
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Coast Guard rescued a fisherman stranded on Matagorda Peninsula, Texas, Tuesday.
Coast Guard Sector Corpus Christi watchstanders were notified by Texas Parks & Wildlife Department personnel at 11:23 a.m. that a man was seen on a game camera waving his arms and a white flag on the Big Jetties in Matagorda.
An airborne Coast Guard Air Station Houston MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew diverted to assist. Before the helicopter crew arrived on scene, a good Samaritan boater took aboard the man and transported him to Coast Guard Station Port O’Connor.
The man reported he had been wade fishing with his friend, a 51-year-old man, about 4 miles north of the jetties in Matagorda Bay when their 26-foot boat broke loose and drifted away. The 51 year old reportedly injured his leg while unsuccessfully trying to retrieve the vessel and was stranded on Matagorda Peninsula with no food or water.
The Dolphin crew located the stranded fisherman, hoisted him and transferred him to emergency medical services personnel waiting at Station Port O’Connor. The man was reportedly in stable condition and is working with TowBoatUS to locate and recover his adrift vessel.
“Before you leave shore or disembark a vessel to go wade fishing, make sure you wear a life jacket and carry a reliable communication device,” said Lt. j.g. David Guerreiro, command duty officer, Sector Corpus Christi. “Carrying a handheld radio or a cell phone in a waterproof container will enable you to call for help during an emergency.”
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