3 Rescued After Sailboat Capsizes Near GA Coast

ST. MARYS, GA — Three people were rescued Sunday after a 26-foot sailboat capsized at St. Marys Inlet, stranding them near the inlet's entrance, U.S. Coast Guard officials said.

The agency's Jacksonville, Florida, sector was notified around 1 p.m. via radio that the sailboat Last Chance took on water during 20 mph winds and 3- to 5-foot seas, Coast Guard officials said. The boat sank about 1 mile north of the entrance.

Three people aboard the boat wore life jackets and prepared to board a dingy, the Coast Guard said.

An urgent marine information broadcast alerted mariners in the area of distress, activating the launch of boat and helicopter crews from Coast Guard Station Mayport in Florida and a Coast Guard Air Station in Savannah, respectively.

The Nassau County (Florida) Sheriff’s Office Marine Unit and multiple good Samaritans proceeded toward the boat to assist, Coast Guard officials.

"The boat crew and helicopter crew arrived on scene and located the sailing vessel submerged. The three boaters were in a dingy nearby and brought aboard the response boat," the Coast Guard said in a news release.

All three people awaited emergency medical services at Dee Dee Bartels Boat Ramp in Fernandina Beach, Florida, and were assessed for injuries, Coast Guard officials said.