Dozens rescued from boat that ran aground near Berkeley

BERKELEY (BCN and KTVU) Forty-three people were stranded in San Francisco Bay Saturday afternoon when a water taxi ran aground on the Berkeley reef, a U.S. Coast Guard lieutenant said. 

Coast Guard officials received a distress call at 2:20 p.m. from the ferryboat Osprey, Coast Guard Lt. Bryan Barr said. 

The boat had been chartered for a bird watching group. 

The boat ran aground about a half mile from the Berkeley Marina. 

Barr said two rescue boats rescued 40 people and dropped them off at the Berkeley Marina. The smaller of the two rescue boats was going back to pick up one more person. 

The last two people on board are crewmembers and they planned to stay on board to wait for a higher tide 

Barr said Coast Guard officials don't know whether the boat sustained any damage.