Three people on a sinking fishing boat rescued by Coast Guard off Key West
The Coast Guard rescued three people this week from a sinking 73-foot commercial fishing boat off Key West and also stopped the boat from going under.
The Kayden Nicole, out of Fort Myers, began taking on water about 46 miles northwest of Key West, the Coast Guard said Tuesday.
The boat’s emergency positioning radio beacon alerted the Coast Guard that the three people on the boat were in distress.
A 45-foot response boat from Station Key West arrived on the scene Monday and sent a de-watering pump to the fishing crew.
An Air Station Clearwater MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew arrived and passed a second pump to the boat, which Coast Guard records say was built in 1983 and has a wooden hull.
After the flooding was under control, the response boat crew brought the Kayden Nicole closer to shore.
The boat’s owner has made plans for another ship to go out and bring the Kayden Nicole back home to Fort Myers, the Coast Guard said.
“Due to the crew having a working and properly registered [emergency positioning indicating locator], we were able to send rescue crews directly to their location to give them the help they needed,” said Lt. j.g. Evan Sutton, the command duty officer of Sector Key West.
No injuries or pollution concerns were reported.
