Coast Guard Assists with Collision Rescue

The crew of a Coast Guard helicopter from Air Station Houston rescued a woman who was injured when two boats collided 56 miles southeast of Galveston, Texas, this morning. Kim Huong Dang was knocked unconscious aboard the Lucky Peter, an 88-foot shrimp boat, when it collided with the Peter Ronna, a 324-foot Russian freight ship, just after 7 a.m. The Lucky Peter called Coast Guard Group Galveston after the accident occurred and reported that all four people onboard had injuries and they were taking on water. Group Galveston coordinated Air Station Houston's crew to launch a rescue helicopter, Air Station Corpus Christi to launch a Falcon jet and Station Galveston to launch a rescue boat to the scene. The helicopter from Houston was first on scene, hoisting a dewatering pump to stop the flooding and an EMT qualified rescue swimmer to check on the injured. The woman was hoisted to the helicopter and flown to Scholes airport in Galveston where an ambulance was standing by to take her to the University of Texas Medical Branch. The other three crewmembers were treated on scene for minor cuts and bruises. The Prosperity, the Lucky Peter's sister ship, put the boat in tow en route Galveston after the flooding was stopped. Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Galveston is investigating the cause of the accident.