Coast Guard rescues 2 on Lake St. Clair

[The Patriot]

CLEVELAND – A boatcrew from Coast Guard Station St. Clair Shores, Mich., rescued two men in Lake St. Clair near Black Creek, Mich., South of Clinton River, Saturday.

Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Detroit were notified by a local 911 dispatcher at about 4:30 p.m. that the two men were aboard a sinking 18-foot boat. The boatcrew from Station St. Clair Shores assisted both men onto a 33-foot SPC-LE rescue boat at about 5:20 p.m.

Both men were wearing life jackets.

The two men were transferred to waiting emergency medical services and taken to Mt. Clemens Regional Hospital.

The Coast Guard recommends that mariners heed the following safety tips when boating:

• Wear a personal floatation device/life jacket at all times. The law states you must have a PFD for every person on board, but the Coast Guard suggests you go one step further and wear your PFD at all times when boating. It is much more difficult to locate, access, or don a PFD at the moment an accident occurs.
• Have a registered 406MHz Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon. EPIRBs can be automatically or manually activated during an emergency and notify response agencies that you are in trouble and provide your precise location.
• Have a marine band radio and visual distress signals. These devices will greatly assist you if you are in distress.
• File a float plan and leave it with someone who is not recreating on the water. A float plan is a lifesaving device on paper and can assist emergency responders with locating a distressed mariner.
• DO NOT boat under the influence of alcohol. Alcohol affects judgment, vision, balance and coordination. Factor in boat motion, vibration, engine noise, sun, wind and spray, and a drinker's impairment is accelerated.

For more information contact the Ninth District Public Affairs Office at (216) 902-6020.




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