U.S. Coast Guard Rescues 10 From Sinking Boat in Grand Traverse Bay [VIDEO]
The United States Coast guard along with the help of a Good Samaritan rescued 10 people from a fast-sinking boat in Grand Traverse Bay June 19.
MLive reports that Friday afternoon, the Coast Guard’s Sector Sault Ste. Marie Command Center got a distress call by radio from a 30-foot boat that was reportedly taking on water in the bay near Traverse City.
The Coast Guard made it the scene in 20 minutes with a 45-foot response boat and an Air Station Traverse City MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter.
As the crew was transferring people to a Good Samaritan vessel, the boat began to sink rapidly, forcing everyone onboard into the water.
The Coast Guard deployed a rescue swimmer to get everyone aboard the Good Samaritan vessel and safely to shore.
According to the U.S. Coast Guard, the boat completely sank in about 250-feet of water.
“As the boating season begins, it is important to ensure your vessel is ready to safely get underway,” said U.S. Coast Guard Commander Amy Florentino, Deputy Sector Commander. “Conduct a check of your boat, make sure you have the proper safety gear including life jackets, and ensure you have an operable VHF radio. In this case, the mariner was able to use a VHF radio to communicate to us that they needed help, which allowed the Coast Guard and other boaters to get on scene quickly.”