CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A family visiting from Cleveland, Texas, was just as surprised as everyone else out on the beach in Port Aransas where a shrimp boat washed up along the shore.
Amy Fortenbury and her kids saw the "Second Chance" shrimp boat sitting in the surf after running aground. Officials say it had engine problems overnight and it ended up just a few feet from the beach as it washed up on the shoreline right in front of the county RV park.
"We come out once a year, this is our beach day, and we came out here and there was a huge boat out here and we were wondering where it came from," Fortenbury said. "So we were curious, we tried to ask a few people what was going on and wondering where the crew was and what had happened for it to wash up here."
U.S. Coast Guard Public Affairs Officer James Farris said the agency sent out a helicopter to rescue the crew around 3 a.m. Wednesday.
"Coast Guard Air Station Corpus Christi sent out a 65 to go over to this vessel at about 3 a.m., and three adults and two dogs were all pulled off. Everybody’s safe," Farris said.
While there was no known oil or gasoline leaking from the shrimp boat, General Land Office officials were out at the beach as well to keep a close eye on things and get the owner to move the boat.
"I’m basically here to try to compel the vessel owner to repatriate the vessel to deeper water and ensure no spills happen," General Land Office Response Officer William Thompson said.
Until then people will have the opportunity to continue to take photos of this unusual site.
3NEWS did contact the boat captain, but he said he was too shaken by the experience to speak with us.
At this time there is no definite plan or timeline on who is going to end up moving the boat or when that will happen.