SAN DIEGO — Seventeen people aboard a sinking boat were rescued off the San Diego coast. The Jig Strike was based at H & M Landing in Point Loma.
Saturday morning, the 56-foot sportfishing boat was out on an excursion more than 100 miles off the coast of Point Loma when it ran into trouble.
According to a statement Captain Patrick Dorety posted to Facebook,
"At 10:35 this morning, while monitoring along out at Cortez Bank, we collided with something floating under the surface. The collision caused the portside bow to break away, and caused the jig strike to quickly take on water. I had enough time to grab the radio and put out a mayday call to the partner boats in the area, while the passengers were mustered to the stern and the crew passed out life jackets."
Captain Dorety explained The Legend, another boat based out of H&M Landing, came to their rescue and transported everyone back home.
He writes:
"The only thing I was concerned with after the accident was that we got everyone off and kept everyone safe."
A Coast Guard spokesperson told CBS 8 there were 17 people on board the Jig Strike, and while they did launch a helicopter, they were all rescued by the time it got on the scene.
"It's good to hear that got that help when you're out there on the water like that,” said David Wilmore.
Wilmore and his wife, Teresa have been on the Jig Strike before. They said the crew has always kept safety top of mind.
"It's always been a good clean boat. And they give you, they tell you where all the life stuff's at before I'm going out, and everything you need to know, should something happen or go wrong," said David Wilmore.
They were both saddened to hear the boat sank, but grateful, saying it could've been much worse.
"Nobody was hurt and that’s a good thing. But I do think, as a fishing community, and right here on this dock, that it wouldn't have mattered if it was an H & M boat or another boat. When they found out something went on, they all would have pulled together," said Teresa Wilmore.
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