Contact: Ninth Coast Guard District Public Affairs Office
(216) 902-6020
| Ninth District External Affairs U.S. Coast Guard |
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| News Release |
Date: September 1, 2008
Contact: Petty Officer Matthew Schofield |
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Coast Guard rescues 12 in Chicago before boat sinks CHICAGO -- The Coast Guard rescued 12 people Monday from a sinking boat near the Chicago Locks at approximately 2 a.m. The people attracted the Coast Guard's attention by waving their arms. A Coast Guard Station Chicago 25-foot response boat was searching for a missing person in a separate case, when they noticed the distressed boaters on a sinking 30-foot pleasure craft near the Chicago Locks. "The Coast Guard transferred all 12 people just minutes before the boat sunk," said Lt. Matthew Walter, a Ninth Coast Guard District command center controller. The 12 people were in recovered in good condition and taken to a local Chicago pier. While waving arms is one of many signs of distress, the Coast Guard recommends all boaters have a sound producing and/or signaling device at all times when boating. These will assist you when you are in distress and will assist responders with locating a distress boater. For more boating safety information, go to http://www.uscgboating.org/. For media inquiries or further information contact Petty Officer Matthew Schofield, Ninth Coast Guard District spokesman at (216) 310-2608. ###
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