USCG, partner agencies salvage sailboat after Thursday rescue

The Coast Guard and partner agencies were salvaging a disabled sailboat Friday after rescuing a man from the boat approximately a half mile west of Rockaway Beach Thursday.

Coast Guard Sector San Francisco’s incident management division personnel contracted Parker Diving to tow the disabled 30-foot sailboat to the Army Corps of Engineers facility in Sausalito Friday as a precautionary measure to prevent pollution due to the amount of petroleum and flammable products aboard.

It was determined that it would be unsafe to remove petroleum and incidental hazardous materials while underway, so they are scheduled to be removed after the sailboat is moored in Sausalito.

The boat operator contacted Coast Guard Sector San Francisco watchstanders Thursday morning reporting his sailboat was anchored and disabled approximately a half mile west of Rockaway Beach.

Watchstanders directed the launch of a Coast Guard Station Golden Gate 47-foot Motor Lifeboat (MLB) crew at 7:32 a.m. The boat crew arrived on scene at 8:31 a.m. and transferred the man to the MLB after he reported feeling faint.

Due to potentially hazardous materials aboard the boat the MLB crew determined it was unsafe to tow the boat, re-anchored the sailboat, and transferred the operator to emergency medical services personnel at Station Golden Gate where he was reported in good condition.