Coast Guard Rescues Four

A helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans rescued four men from two separate vessels, which ran aground 35 miles southwest of New Orleans Monday evening. The Coast Guard was notified by cell phone at 11:45 p.m. that the fishing vessel Bobby Da was aground near Grand Isle, La. A helicopter was dispatched to the scene in order to locate the vessel and assist its crewmembers. Once on scene, a rescue swimmer was lowered to the fishing vessel and prepared the two-man crew for hoisting. As the two men were brought aboard the helicopter, a second grounded fishing vessel's crew contacted the helicopter crew on Ch. 16 (marine emergency frequency) to inform them that they too were aground and they needed assistance. With two survivors already aboard the helicopter, the crew lowered the rescue basket and hoisted two more survivors from the fishing vessel Captain Zack. The helicopter crew brought the four fishermen to an offshore helicopter facility in Grand Isle where the men awaited further transportation. The Coast Guard urges all boaters to keep proper safety equipment onboard their vessel. Life jackets, flares, fire extinguishers, and a VHF-FM radio are just a few examples of life-saving equipment every boater should have onboard.