(WWJ) A U.S. Coast Guard rescue swimmer is being hailed a hero for saving the lives of nearly a dozen people near Traverse City.
The U.S. Coast Guard says rescuers saved 10 people from a 30-foot-long sinking vessel in Grand Traverse Bay Friday.
The Sector Sault Sainte Marie Command Center received a distress call from a boat taking on water around 2:30 pm, according to a press release.
The crew arrived within 20 minutes with a 45-foot response boat and an MH-60 Jawhawk Helicopter.
However, the mission quickly turned south during the transfer.
U.S. Coast Guard officials say the boat started to take on water fast when rescuers began transferring passengers onto the "Good Samaritan" vessel that came to help out.
Many people ended up in the water.
However, it had a happy ending.
A "Good Samaritan" eventually welcomed all passengers aboard, and they safely returned to shore.
The other boat sank in 250 feet of water, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
No pollution has been detected. U.S. Coast Guard officials said the boat had a maximum of 75 gallons of gasoline on board.
Commander Amy Florentino, Deputy Sector Commander, said to make sure your boat is safe before you take to the water.
"Conduct a check of your boat, make sure you have the proper safety gear including life jackets, and ensure you have an operable VHF radio," Florentino said in the press release.
She said, in this case, the VHF radio was the sailors' lifeline to the U.S. Coast Guard: it "allowed the Coast Guard and other boaters to get on scene quickly."
The heroic rescue mission was caught on camera.
