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NEW ORLEANS - The Coast Guard rescued eight people Saturday from an overturned vessel near Horn Island, Mississippi.
At 9:52 a.m. Coast Guard Station Pascagoula received an emergency relay from Jackson County Sheriff’s Office that a boat near Horn Island was sinking.
After attempting to contact the callback number of the reporting party, Station Pascagoula launched a 45-foot response boat-medium rescue crew.
At 10:10 a.m., a HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircrew from Coast Guard Aviation Training Center Mobile, that was conducting training, located the overturned vessel. The aircrew reported that there appeared to be eight people holding onto an overturned boat.
The boatcrew arrived on-scene and embarked seven adults and one child aboard their vessel with only the child wearing a lifejacket. The boatcrew transported them back to the station and transferred them to awaiting emergency medical services personnel.
No significant medical concerns were reported.
“Wearing a life jacket can save your life,” said Lt. Earl Roberts, pilot at Coast Guard Aviation Training Center Mobile. “Lifejackets are a vital safety device because you may unexpectedly find yourself in the water, thankfully our crews are always ready to assist those in need.”
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