5 rescued by Coast Guard after fishing boat sinks

PORT CANAVERAL, FLORIDA - The U.S. Coast Guard rescued five fishermen from Stuart after their boat sank in the Atlantic Ocean off the Brevard County coast Tuesday. <br> <br> No injuries were reported, Petty Officer Jeff Galliher said. Identities were not immediately available for the men from the 42-foot commercial fishing boat. <br> <br> The Miss Renee sent out a distress call at 12:35 p.m. EDT Tuesday that it was taking on water. Seven minutes later, another call was issued, saying the boat was partially submerged and crew members needed help. <br> <br> The Coast Guard dispatched a rescue boat from Port Canaveral and a helicopter from Savannah, Ga. that was training in the area. <br> <br> At 1:08 p.m., the 41-foot utility boat found the five fishermen, who were now floating in the water. One had a life jacket on, the other four were clinging to a life raft, Galliher said. <br> <br> ``We brought them aboard the boat and took them back to the port,&#39;&#39; Galliher said. ``They&#39;re pretty tired.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Around the time of the distress calls, National Weather Service Doppler radar showed a line of thunderstorms stretching from Daytona Beach to Vero Beach moving eastward across the Port Canaveral area and out to sea. <br> <br> However, the Coast Guard said the cause of the boat&#39;s sinking was unknown.

http://accesswdun.com/article/2002/8/190855