3 Fishermen Rescued After Boat Gets Perilously Close To Rocks
SAN PEDRO (CBS) — Three fishermen were rescued Sunday after their 33-foot boat broke down and started drifting close to rocks in the Channel Islands area, Coast Guard officials said.
The rescue was at about 4 p.m. near the westernmost point of San Miguel Island, officials reported.
The commercial fishing boat, based out of Santa Barbara, became disabled about 100 yards away from the rocks, officials said. The men dropped an anchor, but it broke free and the second anchor started to drag in the direction of the shoreline.
Officials said the crew radioed the Coast Guard for help about 2:30 p.m.
The boat was about 35 feet from the rocks when the fishermen were hoisted out.
Coast Guard environmental response personnel continued to monitor the vessel because they believed it had about 40 gallons of fuel onboard and the boat may come aground in an environmentally sensitive area, officials said.
A Coast Guard helicopter is scheduled for an early morning flight to determine the vessel's position.
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