Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Coast Guard rescues 2 after sailboat runs aground and capsizes west of Egmont Key, Florida


Coast Guard 45-foot Response Boat Medium RB-M


ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.— The Coast Guard rescued two people after their 38-foot sailboat ran aground and capsized west of Egmont Key, Florida, Wednesday.

At 7:15 a.m. watchstanders at Coast Guard Station St. Petersburg received a report of an aground sailboat taking water over the bow with two people aboard.

At 7:17 a.m. a 45-foot Response Boat-Medium boatcrew from the station was launched. While en-route, watchstanders received a report from a good Samaritan that the sailboat had capsized and a person was in the water.

The RB-M boatcrew arrived on scene at 7:41 a.m., found both people in a life raft, wearing life jackets and without any reported injuries.

The RB-M boatcrew embarked the people and transported them to Tierra Verde Marina, St. Petersburg.

“These people had all of their required safety equipment, they were wearing their life jackets and they had a life raft on board,” said Richard Hutchinson, a search-and-rescue coordinator at Sector St. Petersburg. “These people were prepared for the worst when the worst was upon them.”