SAN DIEGO — A Coast Guard boatcrew assisted three adults and two children aboard an 18-foot disabled boat near the Zuniga Jetty in San Diego, Saturday.
The vessel lost power due to an overheated engine and began drifting toward the jetty after the anchor broke free. A good Samaritan towed the vessel away from the rocks and the crew reset their anchor.
The mariners grew more concerned as the sun set, dense fog rolled in and the anchor broke free again, causing them to drift dangerously close to the jetty. The crew called 911 around 6:20 p.m., for assistance.
A Coast Guard Station San Diego 33-foot rescue boat arrived on scene to find the skiff approximately 25 yards away from the rocks and towed the vessel to the Shelter Island boat ramp.
The children, aged 12 and 13, and three adults arrived safely to shore around 8 p.m.
The children were wearing life jackets, however the adults were not.
To meet Coast Guard requirements, a boat must have a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jacket for each person aboard. On recreational vessels underway, children under 13 years old must wear a Coast Guard approved life jacket unless they are below decks or in an enclosed cabin.
“The boaters were not well prepared for the conditions,” said Coast Guard Petty Officer 1st Class Matthew Kramer, an operations specialist with the Joint Harbor Operations Center. “We recommend all boaters wear their lifejackets at all times, monitor the weather closely and take a safe boating course.”