Office of External Affairs
U.S. Coast Guard

Date: March 4, 2008

Contact:  Lt. j.g. Ben Sparacin
(361) 939-6227

COAST GUARD RESCUES TWO MEN FROM DISABLED SAIL BOAT

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - The crew of a Coast Guard HH-65C rescue helicopter from Air Station Corpus Christi hoisted two men at 10:00 a.m. off a disabled sail boat 108 miles offshore east of Corpus Christi. 

Both 50 year old and 35 year old men are from Dallas, Texas and suffered no injuries.  The 30 foot disabled sail boat named Air Pirate, home ported from Kemah Boardwalk in Galveston, Texas, was left adrift.

Coast Guard Air Station Corpus Christi initially responded to the sail boat's distress signal at 5:50 p.m. last night by launching the crew of a HU-25C rescue aircraft.

The sail boat incurred ripped sails last night with winds gusting to 45 knots and seas at 12 to 14 feet.  The sail boat's engine would not start and both men elected to spend the night aboard the boat until this morning.

The sail boat departed Galveston on February 29th and was en-route to the Yucatan peninsula.

This was the first hoist for Coast Guard HH-65C pilot Lt. j.g. Leiter during an actual rescue.

Video of this rescue is available at:  http://cgvi.uscg.mil/media/main.php?g2_itemId=236238