4 From Florida And Massachusetts Rescued From Sinking Yacht

SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO — Four men from Florida and Massachusetts were rescued Sunday off the coast of Puerto Rico when an 80-foot yacht called Clam Chowder started taking on water.

The U.S. Coast Guard said one of the men severed his finger while releasing the lifeboat from the yacht.

The men in their 20s and 30s were spotted in a lifeboat after they abandoned the yacht some 29 miles northwest of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, according to the Coast Guard.

"At 5:22 a.m. Sunday, watchstanders at Sector San Juan received a VHF radio Channel 16 distress call from the Clam Chowder, reporting the vessel’s stern was mostly under water," the Coast Guard reported. "Despite having multiple pumps energized, the crew could not keep up with the flooding."

The Clam Chowder also reported losing power and listing to starboard before the captain gave the order to abandon the yacht.

The men were rescued by the crew of a Coast Guard Air Station Borinquen MH-65 Dolphin helicopter.

“This rescue highlights the importance of having proper survival gear and the thorough preparation by the crew of the Clam Chowder,” Lt. Carlos Gonzalez, co-pilot of the MH-65 Dolphin helicopter said following Sunday's rescue. “Having lifejackets, VHF radios and a raft helped save four lives today.”

The Coast Guard helicopter crew hoisted the men into into the aircraft using a rescue basket.
The men were taken to Air Station Borinquen where they were transferred to Customs and Border Protection and Emergency Medical Service personnel.