The U.S. Coast Guard towed a fishing boat to shore that was under distress off of San Francisco’s Ocean Beach on Monday evening.
Around 4 p.m., the operator of the commercial fishing vessel “Joyce” radioed a distress signal requesting immediate assistance because of problems with the boat’s stability, Coast Guard officials said.
The Coast Guard sent a boat crew to the Joyce. At that point, the operator told the crew his vessel was no longer in distress, but the Joyce’s engines then failed shortly afterward.
The Coast Guard boat crew towed the Joyce safely to shore and moored it at Pier 45 in San Francisco, according to the Coast Guard.
In the course of inspecting the vessel after the rescue, the Joyce’s operator began to slip in and out of consciousness, Coast Guard officials said.
The Coast Guard boat crew immediately contacted the San Francisco Fire Department, which transported the operator to a hospital for treatment.
“Notifying the Coast Guard at the first signs of trouble with VHF-FM radio is invaluable,” Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Shawn Lansing said in a statement. “Had we lost communications with the operator while en route to the Joyce, we knew exactly where to go.”
Drew Himmelstein, Bay City News
