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Coast Guard rescues 7 from oil rig

07:50 AM CDT on Monday, June 16, 2008

By Kevin Reece / 11 News & the Associated Press

Video: Kevin Reece's 11 News report

GALVESTON, Texas -- The Coast Guard rescued seven people, including two children, who took shelter on an oil rig after their pleasure boat started sinking early Sunday morning.

The boaters were rescued about 23 miles southeast of Galveston around 8 a.m.

The New Buckaneer, an offshore supply ship, picked up a mayday call from the boaters and relayed it to the Coast Guard. The distress call said the Mako, a 20-foot pleasure craft, was sinking and all seven passengers were in the water.

A Coast Guard rescue boat sent to the scene picked up the seven stranded boaters from the oil platform.

11 News photo

Seven people were stranded on an oil platform after this boat was swamped by a wave in the Gulf.

The boaters were reported to be in good condition, said Coast Guard Petty Officer Renee Aiello said. All were wearing life jackets at the time of the rescue.

The Mako was being towed back to Galveston.

When they made it back to safety, the rescued boaters didn’t want to talk about their harrowing ordeal.

“What happened? I don’t want to talk about that,” one of the boaters said.

The Coast Guard said the Mako got into trouble when it was swamped by a wave.

“One engine, 20 miles out – that’s not a risk I would take,” Jeff Turverey said. “It’s incredibly far to go out in that size boat. I don’t recommend that at all.”

Last week, the Coast Guard rescued five sailors who spent 26 hours at sea after their boat capsized in the Gulf of Mexico. The body of a sixth sailor was found aboard the Cynthia Woods.

The crew, which included four students and two safety officers from Texas A&M University, had been participating in a regatta from Galveston to Veracruz, Mexico.

The Coast Guard said that boaters should always be aware of wave and weather conditions, file a float plan and know the limitations of their boat.

They also urged boaters to never go out alone and not to exceed their ability to handle their vessel.  

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