Office of External Affairs
U.S. Coast Guard

Date: May 12, 2008

Contact: 
Lt. Russ Hall (Air Station New Orleans)
(504) 393-6032

BM2 James Strempel (Station Pascagoula) - (228)-769-5601

BM2 Gregory Klampt (Station Gulfport)
(228) 868-3743

COAST GUARD ASSISTS TWO ON SINKING VESSEL

BILOXI, Miss. - The Coast Guard assisted two boaters near Horn Island, approximately 10 miles south of
Biloxi, Miss., Sunday night when their boat began taking on water while maneuvering in 6-foot seas.

Coast Guard Sector Command Center in Mobile, Ala., received a call at 5 p.m., from the owner of the 25-foot
Hydrosport boat stating that the vessel was taking on water and the bilge pumps were not keeping up.  They had five
people on board and requested assistance. 

The Mobile Command Center immediately launched a 41-foot utility boat from Coast Guard Station Pascagoula, Miss., and a 25-foot  response boat from Coast Guard Station Gulfport, Miss., and a HH-65C rescue helicopter and crew from Air Station New Orleans.

A Good Samaritan fishing vessel the, Not Working, was in the area and arrived on-scene, picking up 3 people which included 2 adults and 1 child.   

The HH-65C rescue helicopter aircrew deployed their rescue swimmer and a dewatering pump to the vessel.

After the dewatering started, the Coast Guard towed the vessel to Biloxi Small Boat Harbor.