HOLLAND, Mich. — The United States Coast Guard rescued four people after their sailboat capsized near Tunnel Park on Friday afternoon.
The Coast Guard is not releasing the names of those rescued.
At 1 p.m. Friday, a watchstander at Sector Lake Michigan in Milwaukee received a report from an Ottawa County dispatcher about a capsized sailing vessel one-half mile from shore near Tunnel Park. Sector Lake Michigan launched a crew fromStation Holland, Michigan aboard 25-foot response boat to assist.
When the crew arrived on scene, they rescued three people sitting atop the capsized vessel and one person from the water (shown in the accompanying picture above). Once the four were safely aboard the response boat, they were checked for injuries. After it was determined there were no serious medical concerns, the group was transported to Station Holland.
Three of the four people rescued were wearing life jackets.
Plans are under way to right the vessel and tow it back to shore.
“While it’s the law to have enough life jackets onboard for each passenger, the Coast Guard encourages boaters to take it one step further and wear a life jacket while boating,” said Mike Baron, the recreational boating safety specialist with the Coast Guard 9th District in Cleveland. “It is much more complicated to try and put it on once you’re in the water.”
