Video and photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Cory Mendenhall
A Coast Guard Air Station San Francisco helicopter crew transfers two boaters to Queen of the Valley Medical Center in Napa, California, May 12, 2018, after being hoisted from their vessel which ran aground near Suisun Slough. The boat ran aground with four people aboard. The other two boaters were hoisted by the helicopter crew and taken to Napa County Airport.
SAN FRANCISCO — The Coast Guard rescued four boaters after their 17-foot fishing vessel ran aground near Suisun Slough, Saturday morning.
The stranded boaters contacted Coast Guard Station Vallejo watchstanders via cell phone at approximately 4 a.m., reporting they had run aground with one passenger who was reportedly diabetic.
A Station Vallejo boat crew arrived on scene and determined a tow could not be completed because the vessel was hard aground. A Coast Guard Air Station San Francisco MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew was launched to the scene to complete the rescue.
At approximately 7 a.m., the Dolphin helicopter crew arrived on scene and hoisted two of the boaters, including the diabetic boater, and took them to Queen of the Valley Medical Center in Napa. The helicopter then returned to the aground vessel, hoisted the two remaining boaters and took them to Napa County Airport.
The owner plans to refloat the vessel at high tide. There were no reported injuries.
"Never underestimate the hazards of operating a boat in the delta," said Lt. Cmdr. Joshua Murphy, the Air Station San Francisco aircraft commander for this case. "These individuals were lucky they had cell phone coverage in such a remote location. We're all very grateful that we could help."
The Coast Guard urges boaters to always have a marine VHF radio aboard to communicate with responders in an emergency. Boaters can use VHF channel 16 to reach Coast Guard watchstanders in the event of a distress situation.
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