Two kayakers who found themselves in trouble off Dauphin Island owe their lives to quick action by Coast Guard air and boat crews — and to the life jackets they were wearing.
Sector Mobile received the call at 2:16 p.m. on May 24. A kayaker reported that his companion’s boat had overturned in rough water and he had lost sight of her after both ended up in the Gulf. He had managed to swim to shore and raise the alarm.
Watchstanders launched a 29-foot Response Boat from Coast Guard Station Dauphin Island. An MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from Air Station New Orleans lifted off to join the search, and an HC-144 Ocean Sentry plane was also diverted to the area.
The response boat crew located the missing kayaker and brought her to Station Dauphin Island. Both kayakers were wearing life jackets, which officials said was almost certainly the decisive factor in the positive outcome.
“This case highlights the importance of utilizing essential life-saving equipment while boating,” said Petty Officer 1st Class Christopher Moore, a Sector Mobile command duty officer. “The fact that both kayakers were wearing life jackets was most likely a huge factor in the positive outcome of this case.”
Life jackets credited with saving lives in open-water capsize
The incident underscores a reality that Coast Guard crews see repeatedly: small craft on open water offer little margin for error when conditions change. A properly worn life jacket keeps a person at the surface even if they are exhausted, injured, or disoriented, buying critical time for rescuers to arrive.
Moore also noted that filing a float plan — telling someone on shore where you are going and when you expect to return — can dramatically speed the response when something goes wrong.