Rescued Boaters Arrive Safely to USCG Station

Three boaters whose vessel was taking on water 25 miles northeast of Ponce de Leon Inlet, Fla., Wednesday, arrived safely at Coast Guard Station Ponce De Leon Inlet at 4:39 p.m. Wednesday.

Crewmembers assigned to Station Ponce de Leon Inlet came to the aid of the three men, who reported a crack in the hull of their 23-foot vessel, Mo Money, Wednesday morning.

The men made a temporary repair, using a life jacket to patch the hole, but the flooding worsened as the vessel was transiting to shore so the Coast Guardsman and the one boater who remained on the Mo Money were transferred to the Coast Guard vessel.

A second Coast Guard boatcrew from Station Ponce De Leon Inlet arrived on scene, passed over another de-watering pump, and towed the Mo Money to the Coast Guard Station.

"This rescue is an excellent example of why it is so important for boaters to have VHF-FM marine radios," said Lt. Cmdr. Patrick Sullivan, Sector Jacksonville command duty officer. "The men were able to contact us immediately to tell us they were in trouble, and we were able to maintain communication with them until our boatcrew arrived."

uscgnews.com