Coast Guard Rescues Stranded Boaters

Three men were rescued by a Corpus Christi based Coast Guard helicopter crew this morning after being washed ashore on Matagorda Island during the severe storms that struck the area last night. The men contacted authorities reporting they were stranded by the severe weather and were washed ashore on an island near Port O'Connor, TX. A Rescue Swimmer was lowered to asses the men's condition and prepare them to be lifted into the helicopter. All three men were hoisted aboard and transported to Coast Guard Station Port O'Connor. The men were uninjured but very cold due to the winds and lower temperatures. The Coast Guard was unable to respond immediately to the call with a rescue boat or helicopter due to the severity of the weather. A communication schedule with the men was established to monitor their safety until morning. At 4:50am communications were lost with the men. At approximately 5:30 an HH-65 Dolphin helicopter was launched from Corpus Christi to locate and assist the men.