A Coast Guard Air Station San Francisco MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew rescues four boaters after their 21-foot vessel sank approximately 400 yards west of Pacifica, California, June 30, 2018. The boaters were hoisted into the helicopter from the water and flown to San Francisco International Airport.
SAN FRANCISCO — The Coast Guard rescued four boaters after their 21-foot sport fishing vessel began taking on water near Pacifica, Saturday.
The boaters called 911 dispatchers via cell phone, who then relayed the call to Coast Guard Sector San Francisco watchstanders, reporting that their boat was sinking approximately 400 yards from the Pacifica Municipal Pier and they were in the water wearing life jackets.
Sector San Francisco dispatched a Coast Guard Station Golden Gate 47-foot Motor Lifeboat crew and a Coast Guard Air Station MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew, who was already in flight, to the scene.
The boaters maintained contact with 911 dispatchers while in the water and were being visually monitored by Pacifica Fire Department crews on shore.
The helicopter crew arrived on scene at approximately 12:30 p.m., hoisted all four boaters and transported them to the San Francisco International Airport with no reported injuries.
"This was a great example of how quickly a normal day on the water can turn into an emergency situation within minutes," said Petty Officer 3rd Class Joshua Piasecki, the Air Station San Francisco rescue swimmer who conducted the rescue. "Wearing life jackets allowed these survivors to stay alive and afloat until rescue crews arrived on scene. Attempting to put on a life jacket during an emergency can be nearly impossible, so we urge boaters to wear life jackets at all times when underway."
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