This following information comes from Bob Currie, United States Coast Guard Auxiliary Recreational Boating Safety Specialist, United States Coast Guard Auxiliary Station Galveston Flotilla.
Sometimes things happen that are beyond your control. This is such a story. It involved 3 men aboard a recreational fishing vessel fishing near the Galveston North Jetty limit.
Here is what happened.
The boat was a 31-foot fishing boat with three experienced fishermen aboard. The boat was powered by twin outboard 225 HP engines. The crewmembers were familiar with the area in which they were fishing.
When the crew were finished fishing near the end of the jetty, the captain came out on the throttles and the boat at first started forward. But something went terribly wrong. The bow nosed up and the boat was sucked backwards and the transom was pulled below the surface immediately flooding the boat.
It was later determined that an old anchor line had become fouled in both propellers. As the propellers wound the anchor line around them, the stern of the boat was pulled below the surface and water filled the boat quickly. Before the boat sank completely and capsized, one of the crew managed to call the US Coast Guard on their VHF marine radio and announce a mayday emergency.
The radio operator was able to tell the Coast Guard Watchstander their location, and a 45-foot rapid response boat was dispatched to the scene. The captain of the boat also set his anchor as soon as he realized he was in trouble. The boat was close to the shipping lane, and a wave from a passing tanker was the final straw that capsized the boat. The captain said that setting the anchor helped hold an air pocket in the bow of the boat and kept it from sinking completely.
When the Coast Guard rapid response boat arrived at the scene, they found the boat capsized and three men in life jackets clinging to the hull. The crew of the rapid response boat tossed a line to the men clinging to the capsized hull, and one man attached the line to the bow winch ring.
Check back next week for an analysis on what went well in this situation and lessons learned.
Thanks to Sherrie, we will always remember safe boating is no accident!
If you would like to learn more about vessel safety checks, please contact Steve Hults, Staff Officer for Vessel Examinations at steve.hults@uscgaux.net.
Please contact us for more information about our safe boating classes or learning more about getting involved in the Auxiliary, check out our website at www.uscgaux.net follow us on FaceBook @ Apalachee Bay Flotilla 12 or contact our Flotilla Commander Phil Hill at pnkkhill2000@yahoo.com.
The Coast Guard Auxiliary is the uniformed civilian volunteer component of the U.S. Coast Guard and supports the Coast Guard in nearly all mission areas. The Auxiliary was created by Congress in 1939. For more information, please visit www.cgaux.org.
