IMAGERY AVAILABLE: Coast Guard rescues 37 after fishing boat capsizes, sinks in the Eastern Pacific Ocean

News Release

U.S. Coast Guard 11th District Pacific Southwest Contact: 11th District Public Affairs Office: (510) 437-3325 After Hours: (510) 772-8865 11th District online newsroom

Coast Guard rescues 37 people after fishing boat capsizes, sinks in the Eastern Pacific Ocean

Editors' Note: Release updated to include links to high resolution imagery. 

ALAMEDA, Calif. – The U.S. Coast Guard rescued 25 fishing boat crewmen and 12 Coast
Guardsmen after the fishing boat they were aboard capsized and sank approximately 336 nautical miles southeast of Clipperton Island in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, Wednesday.

Coast Guardsmen were conducting a routine boarding of the 160-foot Ecuadorian fishing vessel
Marujita when it began listing and became unsafe to remain aboard. All fishing boat crewmen
and Coast Guardsmen aboard the vessel abandoned ship.

A boat crew from a Coast Guard cutter quickly rescued 16 of the fishing vessel crew and Coast
Guard members while 20 others climbed up nets hung from the side of the cutter. One Marujita
crewman clung to the hull of the sinking vessel until he was rescued by the cutter’s rescue
swimmer.

"Fast action by the cutter's crew resulted in a remarkable mass rescue in a dangerous and
challenging situation," said Capt. Arthur Snyder, chief of operations for the 11th Coast Guard
District. “Their decisive response reflects their training and dedication, and shows the types of
dangers faced by Coast Guard crews deployed around the world protecting our nation.”

The cutter was in the region conducing a law enforcement patrol. There were no reported
injuries. The cause of the incident is under investigation.

-USCG-