HOUSTON — The Coast Guard rescued two adults adrift on a cooler near the Texas City Dike in Texas City, Texas, Monday evening.
Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston watchstanders received a mayday call on VHF Ch. 16 from a mariner aboard a 32-foot recreational vessel reporting that three people aboard the disabled vessel had fallen overboard. The mariner stated the vessel, now with one adult and six children left onboard, was drifting towards the rocks.
Watchstanders issued an urgent marine information broadcast and launched an Air Station Houston MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew, a Station Galveston 45-foot Response Boat-Medium boatcrew and two Station Galveston 29-foot Response Boat-Small boatcrews.
The mariner aboard the recreational vessel was able to recover one of the adults from the water. The Station Galveston boatcrews arrived on scene and recovered the two additional adults from the water adrift on a cooler.
"This could have been a tragic situation," said Lt. j.g. Terrell Sisk, command duty officer at Sector Houston-Galveston. "While the vessel had the required amount of lifejackets, no one onboard the vessel was wearing one including the three adults who entered the water. Unexpected events can happen while on the water, and in a moment mariners can find themselves in a dangerous situation. It's very much like a seatbelt; if you're not wearing it, it can't help save your life."
The crew of the RBS towed the disabled vessel to the Galveston Yacht Basin. No injuries were reported.
Weather conditions were reported as 13 mph winds with 2-foot seas.
-USCG-