Six people were rescued from a 32-foot-long boat after it started taking on water off the Texas coast on Sunday.
The U.S. Coast Guard said they received a call for a sinking ship just before noon about five miles south of the Brazos River, near Freeport.
The people aboard the boat said its three dewatering pumps were not keeping up with the flooding. They then got into a life raft with life jackets and waited for the Coast Guard.
USCG arrived and took the six people aboard. Authorities said they were then taken to a USCG station and none were reported injured.
The sinking boat, seen in the video player above, was abandoned and the owner is arranging for salvage.
Petty Officer 3rd Class Tyler Downes reminded boaters to have “reliable, efficient communication” on board in case of an emergency.
“Every second matters during an emergency on the water, and a marine radio can be a direct lifeline for you and everyone on your boat,” he said.
A Coast Guard Station Freeport 45-foot Response Boat–Medium crewcrew rescues six people after their vessel sinks near Freeport, Texas, Feb. 19, 2023. All six individuals were recovered and transported to Station Freeport. (U.S. Coast Guard photo, courtesy Station South Freeport) ((U.S. Coast Guard photo, courtesy Station South Freeport))A Coast Guard Station Freeport 45-foot Response Boat–Medium crew rescues six people after their vessel sinks near Freeport, Texas, Feb. 19, 2023. All six individuals were recovered and transported to Station Freeport. (U.S. Coast Guard photo, courtesy Station South Freeport) ((U.S. Coast Guard photo, courtesy Station South Freeport))A Coast Guard Station Freeport 45-foot Response Boat–Medium crew rescues six people after their vessel sinks near Freeport, Texas, Feb. 19, 2023. All six individuals were recovered and transported to Station Freeport. (U.S. Coast Guard photo, courtesy Station South Freeport) ((U.S. Coast Guard photo, courtesy Station South Freeport))A Coast Guard Station Freeport 45-foot Response Boat–Medium crewcrew rescues six people after their vessel sinks near Freeport, Texas, Feb. 19, 2023. All six individuals were recovered and transported to Station Freeport. ((U.S. Coast Guard photo, courtesy Station South Freeport))
Rebecca Salinas is the Digital Executive Producer at KSAT 12 News. A San Antonio native, Rebecca is an award-winning journalist who joined KSAT in 2019.
