Five people rescued from sinking boat near Golden Gate Bridge
U.S. Coast Guard rescues crew on sinking boat near Golden Gate Bridge
SAN FRANCISCO - Five people were rescued from a sinking fishing boat this week off the Bay Area coastline, the U.S. Coast Guard said.
The captain of the Mandy Jane, a 50-foot fishing vessel, sent a mayday call about 4:45 p.m. Wednesday saying that the boat was taking on water.
When a Coast Guard helicopter spotted the boat about 5:10 p.m. off the coast southwest of the Golden Gate Bridge, they saw four crewmembers on life raft and the captain still on the fishing vessel.
Shortly afterward, a San Francisco pilot boat, a tugboat and a Good Samaritan vessel arrived to assist with the rescue, the Coast Guard said.
A rescue swimmer was lowered from the helicopter and assisted helped the four passengers and the boat captain onto a 47-foot Coast Guard motor lifeboat.
The Coast Guard didn't give an exact location, but said the Mandy Jane foundered about 16 miles southwest of the Golden Gate Bridge.
The crew's quick-thinking -- to call for help, don survival suits and deploy the life raft -- helped save lives, said Capt. Marie Byrd, the Coast Guard Sector San Francisco commander.
Byrd also praised the good samaritan vessel, tug and pilots who quickly responded to Mandy Jane's calls for help.