FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. — The Coast Guard rescued three boaters Friday after their boat took on water 12 miles west of Sanibel.
Watch standers from Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg received an emergency relay call at 4:05 a.m. from Sea Tow National dispatch, stating three people were aboard a 35-foot sailboat taking on water and were in need of emergency assistance.A Coast Guard boat crew aboard a 45-foot Response Boat-Medium from Station Fort Myers Beach responded.The crew arrived on scene and provided dewatering assistance, which enabled the vessel to remain afloat while under tow. The tow was transferred to Sea Tow National who took them to Fort Myers. No injuries were reported."Thankfully we were alerted quickly, which enabled our boat crew to get on scene and prevent a bad situation from getting any worse,” said Lt. Cmdr. Brittany Poley, command duty officer at Sector St. Petersburg. For breaking news, follow us on Twitter @uscgsoutheast.