URGENT: Coast Guard assists sinking ship

Special to the Star

CORPUS CHRISTI - The Coast Guard assisted a sinking fishing boat

about 20 miles east of Port Isabel this morning.

A watchstander at Coast Guard Sector Corpus Christi received a mayday call

from the captain of the fishing boat Ivy, at 3:38 a.m., reporting that

they were sinking.

Coast Guard Station South Padre Island dispatched a rescue boat crew and

Coast Guard Air Station Corpus Christi launched an HU-25 Falcon jet crew

to assist. The Falcon jet crew had to turn back because of a lightning storm, but the rescue boat was able to reach the Ivy.

When the rescue boat crew arrived at the Ivy, they found more than four

feet of water in the engine room. The rescue boat crew passed a

de-watering pump to the Ivy and with the help of the crew, was able to

control the flooding in the boat before it sank.

The rescue boat crew started escorting the Ivy to the Port of Brownsville,

but the fishing boat was unable to continue due to flooding. Another fishing boat from the same company arrived and towed the Ivy. The rescue boat crew remained with the fishing boats in case of emergencies and followed them to port.

No injuries were reported.