Special to The News

HOUSTON — The Coast Guard rescued five people from a sinking vessel 35 miles south of Sabine Pass on Thursday afternoon.

Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston watchstanders received a phone call from one of the five boaters aboard a disabled pleasure craft stating their vessel was taking on water. Watchstanders issued an urgent marine information broadcast and launched a Sector Houston-Galveston MH-65 Dolphin helicopter aircrew along with a Station Sabine 45-foot Response Boat-Medium boat crew to assist.

Watchstanders contacted the nearby good Samaritan vessel Marilyn M whose crew was able to pass a portable dewatering pump.

The crew of the RB-M arrived on scene and provided additional dewatering pumps and transferred all five boaters to the Coast Guard vessel, due to the disabled vessel’s unsafe condition.

The vessel remained half-submerged 28 miles offshore, and a safety marine information broadcast was sent out by watchstanders warning vessel traffic of the boat’s location. The owner of the vessel will conduct salvage operations.

There were no reported injuries to the boaters, and all five were wearing life jackets.

“This case could not have been as successful without the assistance we received from the crew of the good Samaritan vessel Marilyn M,” said Lt. j.g. Terrell Sisk, command duty officer at Sector Houston-Galveston. “They were first on scene and able to pass a hand pump that kept the vessel above water until a Coast Guard crew could arrive. So often the assistance of good Samaritan crews like the crew of the Marilyn M help change the outcome of what could be a tragic situation.”

The weather on scene was reported as 2-foot seas and 11 mph winds.