CLEARWATER, Fla.- The Coast Guard rescued two fishermen after their 36-foot boat began taking on water 20 miles west of Anclote River, Florida, Thursday.
Rescued were Michael Westfall and William Alley operating out of Tarpon Springs, Florida
At 7:53 a.m. watchstanders from Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg, Florida, received a mayday call via VHF-FM marine band radio channel 16 reporting two people on the commercial fishing boat, Nomad, were unable to keep up with flooding water.
An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter rescue crew from Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater and a 45-foot Response Boat-Medium boat crew from Coast Guard Station Sand Key, Florida, were launched and arrived on scene at 8:41 a.m.
Two RB-M boat crew members were transferred to the Nomad and began dewatering operations. The crewmembers contained the flooding and determined the source to be a damaged raw water line.
The fishermen and the boat were transported to the Holiday Seafood sponge docks, Tarpon Springs, with no reported injuries.
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