HOUSTON — The Coast Guard is searching for two people whose boat may have sunk 125 miles southeast of Galveston Saturday morning.
Missing are Karl Shram and Chris Bergeron of Lake Charles, Louisiana.
The boaters are reported to have departed Lake Charles aboard a 42-foot boat. The time of departure is unknown.
The men used their satellite phone to make a distress call to the International Emergency Response Coordination Center, a commercial distress satellite monitoring center. At around 10:30 a.m., the IERCC called Rescue Coordination Center New Orleans, who then notified Sector Houston-Galveston watchstanders. The dispatch center reported that the boaters said they were sinking fast and were planning to swim to the nearest oil rig.
Watchstanders launched a Coast Guard cutter, airplane and helicopter to search for the men. An Urgent Marine Information Broadcast has been issued to alert mariners in the surrounding area who may be able to assist in the search.
The following assets are on scene or en route:
- The Coast Guard Cutter Manta
- An Air Station Houston MH-65 Dolphin helicopter
- An Air Station Corpus Christi HC-144 Ocean Sentry airplane.
The Ocean Sentry provides search capabilities and long-range communication support.
Anyone with information that can assist search crews is urged to call the Sector Houston-Galveston Command Center at 281-464-4854 or on the radio at VHF-FM channel 16.