A Coast Guard helicopter crew lowered a rescue swimmer to a disabled boat in the Gulf of Mexico off the Texas coast and hoisted four people to safety Tuesday afternoon, the agency said.
Coast Guard watch standers received an emergency beacon about 8:30 a.m. (9:30 a.m. ET) from the boat, a 32-foot pleasure craft named Special K III, the agency said. An MH-65 Dolphin rescue helicopter launched from Air Station Houston sighted three flares from the boat about 65 miles southeast of Freeport and began the rescue operation.
"The flares were a big help, because we were flying past their position when we saw the light that alerted us to them," said Lt. James Rader, one of the pilots.
No injuries were reported, and the Special K III was towed back to Freeport, the Coast Guard said.
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ā M. Alex Johnson
