Petty Officer 3rd Class Sean McCoy, officer of the day at Coast Guard Station Oswego, N.Y., conducts radio communications with Fireman Jaiden Barnhart, a watch stander at the station, in the station's communication room, July 30, 2013.
Watch standing is the first and possibly most important qualification for a member of any station to receive.
U.S. Coast Guard photo by Seaman Bryan Sullivan
CLEVELAND — The Coast Guard rescued three people Saturday afternoon from an adrift boat near the west breakaway in Oswego Harbor, New York.
The names of the individuals rescued are not being released by the Coast Guard.
At about 4 p.m., a watchstander at Coast Guard Sector Buffalo responded to a distress call coming over VHF-FM channel 16, the international hailing and distress channel, from the boaters aboard the pleasure craft Trouble Shooter. The 24-foot boat became disabled and there was no anchor aboard, and due to it being in vicinity of the breakaway the Coast Guard deemed it a distress situation. The watchstander issued an urgent marine information broadcast and directed the launch of a rescue boat crew from Station Oswego.
The rescue crew aboard a 25-foot response boat was on scene with the distressed boaters within 10 minutes and towed the vessel to Wrights Landing in Oswego.
The Coast Guard reminds boaters of the importance of having a VHF-FM radio aboard your vessel. In this case it assisted greatly in the quick response of the Coast Guard and the eventual safe return of three boaters.