Coast Guard assists 3 aboard vessel taking on water near South Padre Island, Texas

News Release

U.S. Coast Guard 8th District Public Affairs Detachment Texas Contact: 8th District Public Affairs Detachment Texas Office: 281-464-4810 After Hours: 832-293-1293 PA Detachment Texas online newsroom

Coast Guard assists 3 aboard vessel taking on water near South Padre Island, Texas

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Coast Guard assisted three boaters after their vessel began taking on water near South Padre Island, Texas, Thursday.

Watchstanders at the Eighth Coast Guard District command center in New Orleans received a personal locator beacon activation alert at about 5 p.m. for an unknown distress situation approximately 3 miles off South Padre Island. They relayed the alert to Coast Guard Sector/Air Station Corpus Christi command center watchstanders, who issued an urgent marine information broadcast.

A Sector/Air Station Corpus Christi MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew and Coast Guard Station South Padre Island 45-foot Response Boat–Medium crew launched to assist.

The RB-M crew arrived on scene and found three people in distress aboard a flooded 35-foot sport fishing vessel. After transferring two crew members with a pump and dewatering the vessel, the Station South Padre Island crew escorted the mariners back to Pirate's Landing in Port Isabel, Texas.

"Our rapid response and ability to pinpoint the vessel's location can be attributed to the boater's use of a personal locator beacon," said Lt. Alexis Williams, Sector/Air Station Corpus Christi command duty officer. "When you're in distress, every minute that goes by is critical. Using a PLB in those situations can save you precious time."

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