The U.S. Coast Guard rescued two men before dawn Saturday after their 40-foot boat began to take on water 13 miles west of Anna Maria Island, officials said.
At 3:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 29, watch standers from Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg received a mayday call from the crew aboard the commercial fishing boat Barbara Jean by way of VHF-FM marine band radio Channel 16, the U.S. Coast Guard said.
The crew said they were disabled due to engine trouble and were taking on water over the sides of the boat.
A 45-foot Response Boat-Medium boat crew from Coast Guard Station Cortez launched and arrived on scene at 4:30 a.m. Saturday.
A Coast Guard crew member and a dewatering pump were transferred to the fishing boat to begin pumping out the water.
The Coast Guard respond boat crew plunked the two men from the sinking boat, placed the fishing boat in tow and delivered the men and their boat to A.P. Bells Seafood in Cortez.
No injuries were reported.
