Coast Guard Successfully Rescues Victim Involved In Maritime Accident Near South Padre Island

When an accident at sea occurs, a maritime lawyer can help victims seek justice and damages for any injuries or losses. One boater may soon be in need of legal counsel after his vessel sank off the coast of Texas this weekend. Luckily, the victim was rescued by Coast Guard crewmembers stationed in South Padre Island, but the boater may still be eligible to receive compensation for the incident.

The Coast Guard Station rescued the victim Saturday afternoon after his 15-foot jon boat sank roughly four miles north of the Queen Isabella Causeway. An emergency dispatcher had called the station around noon, informing crewmembers that a woman had reported her husband’s vessel was sinking and was not sure where exactly he was at sea. She mentioned that his cell phone had died shortly after speaking with him, and she was worried for his safety. Although locating a distressed boater at sea is extremely difficult when the victim’s coordinates are unknown, the Coast Guard crew was able to find and rescue the victim and noted that they were extremely lucky with the situation.

“Without a filed float plan of where to expect [the boater], it was difficult to find the boat in time before it sank, but we were very fortunate today,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Orlando Rivera, the boat coxswain of the rescue boat. “We cannot stress the importance enough of filing a float plan before going out on the water and having a reliable GPS device along with a marine band radio to call for help if the situation arises. [The victim’s] phone died before he could pass his location, and it was just by chance the helicopter spotted him.”

The Coast Guard sent crews aboard the station’s 24-foot shallow water response boat and Air Station Corpus Christi’s MH-65 Dolphin rescue helicopter to search for the victim. The helicopter crew located him just before 2 p.m. and the shallow water response vessel arrived shortly after to aid in the rescue mission as well. The Coast Guard then towed the victim’s boat to Port Isabel.

Although this victim was extremely lucky, even with a filed float plan, many boaters are lost at sea following an accident and suffer serious injuries or may never even be rescued. Anyone who has been involved in an incident onboard a personal water craft, cruise ship, cargo ship, or any other vessel has a right to seek legal help to file their own case or on behalf of a deceased loved one. The maritime lawyers at our firm work to protect victims’ rights and endeavor to help you obtain justice for your tragedy. Call our firm today to schedule a consultation and discuss your options.