Tugboat Sinks, Tow Afloat Off California Coast

The U.S. Coast Guard has rescued four people from a life raft after their tugboat sank in a towing operation off California near Big Sur.

The Coast Guard state that they received a distress called from the tug Delta Captain at 2:55 p.m. Saturday and immediately launched rescue crews; a 47-foot Motor Life Boat from Coast Guard Station Monterey, the Coast Guard Cutter Sockeye — an 87-foot Coastal Patrol Boat homeported in Bodega Bay — and an HH-65 Dolphin rescue helicopter from Coast Guard Air Station San Francisco.

The rescue helicopter crew located the survivors of the Delta Captain and deployed a rescue swimmer to hoist them aboard. All four were transported to shore in Monterey, and transferred to awaiting emergency medical technicians. There were no reports of injuries.

The tug Delta Captain sank and may still be attached via towline to the barge. Coast Guard response crews are on scene and the recovery effort is underway. In addition, two tugs are en route to the scene to tow the barge.

The Coast Guard and the Department of Fish and Wildlife Office of Spill Prevention and Response have set up an incident command post at Coast Guard Sector San Francisco, located on Yerba Buena Island.