Coast Guard saves 4 after boat capsizes

Four people were rescued by a Coast Guard Station Port O’Connor boat crew approximately one and half miles outside the Matagorda Jetties.

At approximately 9:30 p.m., a 911 dispatcher called the Coast Guard to pass that four people had been capsized in their 17-foot pleasure craft after it was hit by a 6-foot wave.

The four people were able to cling to the hull of the boat and one of the survivors had a waterproof case on his phone, which allowed him to call 911.

Station Port O’Connor immediately launched a 24-foot small boat and crew, which located and rescued the four people clinging to the hull and brought them back to the station.

“It was fortunate that one of the survivors still had a working cell phone and they were able to call for help. While they had lifejackets onboard, they were all trapped under the hull of the boat and were inaccessible. The outcome of this case may have gone differently if they had not had the means to make that call,” stated Senior Chief Jamie DeSanno, the officer in charge of Station Port O’Connor. “Just having a lifejacket onboard your vessel doesn’t mean it will keep you safe. It’s always a good idea to wear your lifejacket while you’re in your boat, especially in rough seas.”

uscgnews.com