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Coast Guard rescued 19 people, escorted 14 people on Lake Erie after weather-related incidents

Posted at 3:13 PM, Jun 25, 2017
and last updated 2017-06-25 16:11:43-04

The weather and water-related conditions made it a busy weekend for the Coast Guard boat crews.

Crews rescued 19 people and escorted 14 people back to shore in four related incidents on Saturday.

The Coast Guard Detroit Sector received notification of a 12-person pontoon boat that hit rough waters about a mile off Gem Beach near Sandusky.

Three people in the water were rescued and nine others were escorted back to Gem Beach Marina by rescue crews. There were no reported injuries.

In a second case, a watchstander at Station Erie received a 'Mayday' call over Channel 16 from the operator of a 28-foot charter boat with seven people aboard stating they were taking in water about three miles off shore.

Seven people were escorted back to shore and one person was treated for inhaling water.

In a third case, Station Erie received a 911 call about a capsized 22-foot boat near Dobbins Landing in Presque Isle Bay carrying 12 people at around 8:20 p.m.

The Coast Guard boat crews rescued ten people while a bystander rescued another two people. There were no reported injuries.

Crews rescued two kayakers while on patrol.

Weather conditions on Lake Erie throughout the day contributed to the number of boaters in need of rescuing. A small craft advisory was issued with winds creating seas in excess of 4 feet high.

“These cases we were involved in today highlight the importance of wearing a life jacket at all times, and knowing the weather conditions before getting underway,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class James Stephenson, a member of one of the rescue crews from Station Erie in a news release.

James added, “Today could have been dramatically different and could easily have ended in tragedy for anyone of these people.”