A boater whose vessel became disabled far offshore got a hand from the Coast Guard over the weekend, with crews towing the boat safely back to Dauphin Island.
Coast Guard Sector Mobile received word of the troubled vessel around 10:04 a.m. Saturday. The boat was roughly 35 miles south of Dauphin Island when it lost the ability to make way on its own, leaving its occupants adrift in open Gulf waters.
Watchstanders worked up an approximate position for the vessel and launched a Response Boat-Medium crew from Coast Guard Station Dauphin Island. An HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircrew out of Mobile was also directed to the scene to assist in locating the disabled craft and standing by until surface help arrived.
The aircrew reached the vessel shortly before 1 p.m., providing situational awareness while the response boat made its way offshore. The boatcrew arrived around 2:25 p.m. and took the vessel under tow.
Neither the name of the vessel nor a count of those aboard was released in the initial report. No injuries were noted in connection with the incident.
The tow concluded without further trouble, with the disabled boat secured at Little Billygoat Hole Ramp on Dauphin Island.
Sector Mobile urges preparation before heading offshore
Breakdowns dozens of miles from land can turn dangerous quickly, particularly when weather or seas deteriorate before help arrives. Coast Guard officials regularly urge boaters planning trips well off the Alabama coast to file a float plan, carry reliable communications equipment such as a VHF marine radio, and make sure flares and other signaling gear are aboard and within reach of the operator.