Coast Guard Rescues Nine Boaters in Lake St. Clair
U.S. Coast Guard personnel, along with good Samaritans on the water, rescued nine boaters Saturday from Lake St. Clair.
Nine people who were on a disabled boat in Lake St. Clair late Saturday morning are safely on land after being rescued by the personnel from U.S. Coast Guard Station St. Clair Shores.
A watchstander at Coast Guard Station St. Clair Shores received a call at 11:43 a.m. of a disabled boat near the Middle Channel of Lake St. Clair and a rescue boatcrew was dispatched to respond to the call.
Prior to the arrival of Coast Guard personnel, TowBoat U.S. and another boater, helped the boaters whose boat was taking on water, according to a release.
The nine people aboard the boat were transferred to the Coast Guard vessel, and taken to the Clinton River Boat Ramp. The Coast Guard is not releasing the names of those rescued.
“It was great to see fellow boaters come to the aid of another boater, one boater called the Coast Guard and another assisted them on location,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Richard Luedtke in a release.
Luedtke, coxswain of the 33-foot SPC-LE vessel which responded, added “Boaters have the responsibility to watch after one another and often times can assist a distressed boater faster than we can.”
GP For Life
8:43 am on Sunday, September 9, 2012
We all should be very thankful for the excellent professionalism of the USCG.
ABlum
9:04 pm on Sunday, September 9, 2012
Amazing they responded. 10 years ago I called the coast guard when my 16 year old son and 3 others were stranded 1 mile up from the 9 mile tower with a really bad storm coming in, and they said they would have to be in an emergency situation like "capsized" to respond. I finally summoned the help of a friend who, with his son realized the danger the 4 teens were in only to be stopped by the coast guard saying it was a mayday and no one should/ could go out on the lake. My friend responded to say he WAS going as his son's friends were in danger, and thankfully they towed the kids in during this extreme weather. I was thankful to have great friends. Didn't have a warm fuzzy feeling for the coast guard..
GP For Life
10:29 am on Monday, September 10, 2012
Nothing about this comment makes any sense to me. I will side with the Coast Guard, as they are far more experienced in these matters.
They, you, should have checked the weather.
Carlicious
1:17 pm on Thursday, September 13, 2012
I agree, it's a captains responsibility to know what and how to handle any boat you are driving in any condition and what to do in certain circumstances. Don't blame the coast guard. The coast guard is there to save lives, not pull a boat in. You should have called Boat U.S.