A Coast Guard helicopter crew rescued four recreational fishermen from an oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico after their boat sank 90 miles off the coast of Louisiana on Tuesday.
Skipper Tom Mallett headed out of Biloxi, Miss., with three friends aboard a 28-foot walkaround powerboat. About 3 p.m. the boat was slammed by 10-foot seas and rapidly began taking on water, he told WGNO News.
The quick-thinking skipper made a beeline for a nearby platform. Everyone climbed onto it and watched the boat slip beneath the surface.
Mallett used his cellphone to call for help, and then he recorded the rescue from his perspective.
The rescue crew arrived about 3:30 p.m., hoisted the four fishermen and flew them to the air station with no reported injuries.
“I lost everything. I lost everything, but my life, which is good enough,” Mallett says during the report by WGNO News.
“The Coast Guard rescue crew was able to rapidly respond to these mariners in distress because they had an extra form of communication, which helped vector in the rescue crew,” said Lt. Nicholas Greaver, command duty officer, 8th Coast Guard District. “We always recommend before you get under way to ensure you have a filed float plan, extra forms of communication, emergency supplies and always wear a life jacket.”
