2 rescued after boat takes on water near Government Cut

By JESSICA HOLLY, SHELDON FOX

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    MIAMI, Florida (WSVN) — A vessel that took on water off Government Cut Friday morning prompted a swift response by rescue crews.

U.S. Coast Guard boats responded at the scene three miles off of Government Cut where crews rescued two boaters from the sunken vessel.

7Skyforce hovered over the scene where the vessel was submerged in the water.

Good Samaritans in the area plucked the boaters out of the water and brought them to the U.S. Coast Guard vessel.

“All of a sudden, we notice them kind of driving around erratically, kind of in circles, and everyone is wondering what’s going on,” said fishing captain Michael Dumas.

Dumas was among the first to realize the people on board needed help.

“The stern of the boat was real low in the water, it seemed like it was sinking,” he said.

Dumas said he began pulling in his anchor so that he could move closer to help.

“We’re shouting directions, ‘Hey, keep driving while you are bailing water, just keep going, keep the boat moving,’” he said. “They stopped the boat, the two gentlemen go to the back, and they start trying to bail water out of the boat, and I’m talking 15 seconds, 20 seconds from the time they stopped the vessel, to the time they started bailing out water, the boat was starting to sink.”

Before he could get to the boat, another vessel was able to pull the men to safety. No one was hurt.

Hours later, the two arrived at Pelican Harbor with the vessel, which had been recovered and towed. They didn’t want to talk to 7News after a tough day on the water.

“In 35 years, I’d never watched another boat sink in front of me,” Dumas said. “This was the first time I’ve watched a boat literally go from perfectly fine to under the water, right before our very eyes, and it happened fast.”

When the men arrived to shore, they were inspecting the bottom of the boat.

What caused the boat to sink remains under investigation.

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