MANISTEE -- One person is dead and six others rescued after their charter fishing boat started to sink.
It happened Saturday around 5:00 a.m. near the Manistee Pierheads. The Coast Guard received a radio call from a good Samaritan stating that he heard people yelling in the vicinity of the Manistee pierheads. The visibility was very poor, but the good samaritan was able to get close enough to relay that there was a vessel taking on water.
The U.S. Coast Guard Station Manistee and a good Samaritan rescued the seven people who were in the water after the vessel "Kid-A-Gin" started to take on water.
One of the people rescued, the first mate of the boat, required CPR and was later pronounced dead. All of the people were wearing life jackets.
"All people onboard the vessel were able to put on lifejackets prior to entering the water," said Chief Petty Officer John Tribfelner, Officer-in-Charge, Station Manistee. "It is important to always have lifejackets and to know where they are stored because there is often little to no time to search for a stowed lifejacket when an accident occurs."
The motor lifeboat crew escorted the good Samaritan vessel back to the station where all recovered persons were transferred to Emergency Medical Services. EMS transferred them to West Shore Medical Center.
The accident remains under investigation by Coast Guard and local officials.
