Coast Guard rescues three people from sunken vessel

NEW ORLEANS - The Coast Guard rescued three people from a sunken fishing vessel approximately 35 miles southwest of Cape San Blas, Florida, Wednesday.

Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Mobile received a mayday call on VHF channel 16 from the crew of the Marion J, a 38-foot fishing vessel, at 1:44 a.m. explaining that their vessel was taking on water.

Sector Mobile received a call from a crewmember's girlfriend who told watchstanders that there were three people aboard the vessel, and the boat was approximately 35 miles southwest of Cape San Blas.

The fishing vessel sunk and the crew boarded a life raft.

Involved in the search were:

A 45-foot Response Boat-Medium crew from Coast Guard Station Panama City, Florida

An MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans

An HC-144 Ocean Sentry air crew from Coast Guard Aviation Training Center in Mobile, Alabama

An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater, Florida

The MH-60 crew located the people in a life raft, hoisted them at 4:40 a.m. and transported them to Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater to emergency medical services in stable condition.

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