Coast Guard rescues two boaters stranded off Louisiana coast

LINK

Wonder what in the world happened? Ran aground and tipped the boat over?

The U.S. Coast Guard rescued two 70-year-old men whose boat capsized, leaving them stranded on an island off the southeast Louisiana coast for more than a day. The men had left Bay St. Louis, Mississippi on Wednesday (June 5) in a 25-foot boat and were supposed to return on Thursday.

When the men didn’t make it back to port, they were reported overdue to the Coast Guard on Friday at 8:11 a.m., the agency said. The Coast Guard sent up an airplane from Mobile, Ala., to search for them.

Meanwhile, a helicopter crew from an oil rig reported a capsized boat beached on Freemason Island. The Coast Guard Air Station in New Orleans dispatched a helicopter to rescue the men. It took them to Stennis International Airport near Kiln, Mississippi, were they were in stable condition, the Coast Guard said.

The agency stressed the importance of boaters informing people where they are going and when they expect to return. “A float plan can be as simple as telling a friend or family member where and when you are planning on departing and returning,” said Lt. Alex Gomez, a Coast Guard search and rescue mission coordinator. “If you don’t arrive back on time, that vital information can be relayed to the proper authorities so we can, like today, rescue those in need as quickly as possible.