Three rescued from sinking crab boat in Humboldt Bay, California

The US Coast Guard rescued three people after their commercial crab fishing boat lost propulsion and collided with the jetties while attempting to transit through the entrance channel in Humboldt Bay in northern California on Sunday, January 24.

At approximately 18:20 local time, Coast Guard Sector Humboldt Bay watchstanders received a distress call on VHF-FM channel 16 from the crew of the fishing vessel Sunup stating their vessel had propulsion problems and was on the south jetty rocks inside the channel.

Watchstanders despatched a Coast Guard Station Humboldt Bay motor life boat (MLB) crew and a Sector Humboldt Bay MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew. The MLB crew arrived on scene at approximately 18:30, finding the crab boat mostly underwater.

The MLB crew retrieved two of the fishermen directly from the sinking boat and pulled the third fisherman from the water.

The use of VHF-FM channel 16 and an emergency position-indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) allowed Sector Humboldt Bay watchstanders to quickly receive the crew’s distress call and pinpoint their location.

The rescued fishermen were brought to Station Humboldt Bay with no reported medical concerns.