26 people rescued from sinking boat off Mexican coast

More than two dozen people were rescued Saturday morning when a sportfishing boat began to sink off the coast of Mexico. But they were unable to rescue the crew because towing the boat back to shore was not an option and heave seas made it too unsafe for a direct transfer of people between vessels. 5 crew members were onboard too when around 5am the boat crashed into some rocks. The crew of the 35-foot commercial fishing vessel Sweet Marie overheard the calls for help and diverted to assist the Invicta, the Coast Guard said.

A Coast Guard boat was sent from Chincoteague, and reached the scene in 12- to 15-foot seas. The Coast Guard says it’s now launching an investigation into what caused the crash. They were flown to Richmond International Airport.

The crew found Storm adrift with no way to steer.

The Rhode Island Coast Guard, a local fire department, and a good Samaritan responded to two separate emergencies Saturday night.

Fishing vessel Storm remains unmanned and adrift with an activated EPIRB aboard and all navigational lights energized. They are issuing an hourly broadcast notice to mariners to alert them of the drifting vessel and will continue to track its location.

The fishing boat holds approximately 6,000 gallons of diesel fuel.