Black Immigrant Daily News
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United States Coast Guard surface and air units rescued two boaters after a vessel capsized on Wednesday morning off Puerto Rico.
The incident happened about six and a half nautical miles northeast of San Juan.
A Coast Guard release identified the rescued boaters as Stephen McGrath, 54, and Tyler Penfield, 25.
According to reports, the men were fishing when a swell caused their 24-foot vessel – Vida Azul, to capsize.
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As a result, both men ended up in the water.
The Coast Guard release quoted Petty Officer 2nd Class David Rodríguez saying that proper safety equipment saved the men’s lives.
And Lieutenant Todd Stephens, Jayhawk helicopter pilot for the case, observed that the vessel in distress had a personal locator beacon that led rescuers directly to the location.
” Additionally, both people had bright orange life jackets that made them very easy to spot from the air after their boat had sunk,” Stephens noted.
When rescued, the boaters were equipped and holding on to multiple lifejackets and a life ring.
Following the rescue, the Coast Guard boat crew transported the survivors to Coast Guard Base San Juan, where they were released and received by family members.
Headline photo: Screen grab from Coast Guard video.
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