14'boat, 40 knot winds and 6 ft. seas

[Ray]

*** were they thinking?

PORT O’CONNER, Texas - A Coast Guard Station Port O'Conner boat crew rescued three adults after their pleasure craft began taking on water in the Port O’Connor shipping channel Saturday
A watchstander from Station Port O’Connor received a call at 11:15 a.m. from a good Samaritan reporting that he was concerned about three people aboard a pleasure craft he had passed while returning to shore. He told the watchstander that he informed the three boaters of a rapidly approaching cold front and recommended that they return to the docks before the storm hit. Despite his efforts, the boaters but did not follow him in and continued on their voyage.
Because the wind speed and sea conditions were so harsh, the commanding officer of Station Port O’Connor, Senior Chief Petty Officer Michael Jennings, had to request special permission from Sector Corpus Christi to launch the station's 25-foot response boat in weather that exceeded its recommended safe operating parameters. The search and rescue waiver was granted, and the rescue boat crew along with an HH-65C helicopter rescue crew from Air Station Corpus Christi began searching for the boaters.
While both rescue crews were enroute, the captain of a shrimp boat hailed the Coast Guard reporting that he had just seen an adult struggling in the rough seas near Tomcat Rig. The rescue boat crew arrived on scene to find a 14-foot pleasure craft taking on water with a 65- year-old Lufkin man on board. As the conditions continued to deteriorate, the rescue crew searched for the two missing boaters. A 39-year-old Lovelady man was later found in the water nearby and was rescued. A 42-year-old woman, also from Lovelady was located moments later, clinging to Tomcat Rig half a mile away.
"Proper safety gear played a key role in the successful outcome in this case," said Petty Officer Jeremy Braasch, the coxswain of the rescue boat. "With winds gusting up to 40 knots and 6-foot seas, life jackets probably saved these peoples’ lives today," Braasch said.
All three survivors were wearing life jackets.
The survivors were taken to Station Port O’Connor and were reported to be in good condition and without injury.

[bay_slayer]

I guess common sense isnt so common these days

[Dink]

Unbelievable...........how does a Man get to the age of 65 when he makes decisions like this???

[longcast]

those people dont think.dink thats a great ?.how does a man live that long and is that stupid

[speck-chaser]

well, at least they had their lifejackets on. Good thing.

["W"]

Idiots!!! I see them do this on big lake!! 20mph 14ft boat and head 2 the weirs no matter what!!! Unreal what some will do for a few fish

[Ray]

Originally Posted by "W"

Idiots!!! I see them do this on big lake!! 20mph 14ft boat and head 2 the weirs no matter what!!! Unreal what some will do for a few fish

With wives or girlfriends in the boat too.

[southern151]

Some people are waaaaay too lucky! I sure hope these idiots have to pay for every manhour and every drop of fuel the CG used for this rescue!

If you can't fix stupid, at least charge the heck out it!

[Bluechip]

When I was 17, a friend and I did something very similiar to this...There was an old man sitting on a picnic table at Ellender Bridge boat launch and pointed over towards Big Lake and said "Boys, you see that storm a comin', I would not venture out".....Well being young punks we said we were just going to Black Lake and would be fine....

To make a long story short, after spending 3 hours on the levee on the Salt Ditch laying in the mud and hoping we survive, we made it back to the boat launch to find that same ole' man sitting on that picnic table....All he said was I was justing getting ready to go look for ya'll.....and smiled.....

[jlincecum]

[eman]

Originally Posted by Dink

Unbelievable...........how does a Man get to the age of 65 when he makes decisions like this???

I remeber someone going out to the rigs in a lil boat and everyone wondering the same about him?????