USCGs ask disabled boat to fire flare

17/09/2019

US Coast Guards asked the crew of a sinking shrimping vessel to fire a flare to pinpoint their position.

Three mariners near Matagorda, Texas, were rescued one morning in August, after their boat started taking on water.
Coast Guard Sector/Air Station Corpus Christi watchstanders were alerted to the incident, which took place two miles from the Matagorda jetties. A crew from Coast Guard Station Port O’Connor assisted in a 45-foot Response Boat-Medium.
The mariners told the command center via cellular phone they would be abandoning the vessel. Watchstanders instructed the mariners to ignite a flare to make USCG aware of their location.
When USCG arrived, three mariners were taken from the water onto the RB-M and then transported to Station Port O’Connor. There were no reported injuries.
The vessel was partially submerged in Matagorda Bay approximately 300-yards from shore.
A Safety Marine Information Broadcast has been issued to mariners in the area. The owner of the vessel has made vessel salvage arrangements.
The image shows the shrimping vessel partially submerged in Matagorda Bay near Matagorda, Credit: US Coast Guard photo by Station Port O’ Connor.