Coast Guard Station Port O'Connor boatcrews saved seven people during two search and rescue cases Friday. Early Friday morning, a response boatcrew rescued six adults aboard a disabled sailboat drifting toward the Matagorda jetties. Then, during the early evening, another boatcrew medevaced a 55-year-old man with a head injury off another sailboat. Both sailboat crews were taking part in the Harvest Moon Sailing Regatta, which concluded Saturday afternoon. At approximately 3:45 a.m., the crew of the 40-foot sailboat Ground Effect made a distress call watchstanders at the Sector Corpus Christi command center received. They were 15 miles south of the Matagorda Jetties and drifting due to a non-responsive rudder.
The watchstanders launched a 45-foot response boat and crew, which arrived on scene around 6:30 a.m. The response boat towed the disabled sailboat back to Station Port O'Connor. There were no injuries aboard.
"After arriving on scene, we quickly took the Ground Effect into a stern tow," said Petty Officer 2nd Class Benjamin Cessor, the response boat coxswain. "We were concerned that this boat was disabled and drifting towards the jetties and wanted to get the vessel under control and bring the sailors to safety as quickly as possible. My crew and I are glad we were able to assist these mariners and save their boat."
At 5:30 p.m., the sailboat Hot Fudge called the Sector Corpus Christi command center near the Matagorda jetties, saying one of their crewmembers had suffered a head laceration. The sector watchstanders launched a 25-foot response boat and crew from Coast Guard Station Port O'Connor. They brought the man back to Station Port O'Connor to waiting EMS. The man was treated for a minor head injury and released shortly after.
