One person was rescued, but two others lost their lives after their boat capsized in Lake Michigan offshore of Ozaukee County on Monday night.
The U.S. Coast Guard Sector Lake Michigan received the mayday call at 9:15 p.m. Monday on marine radio channel-16, prompting the dispatch of a 45-foot Response Boat-Medium crew from Milwaukee and an Air Station Traverse City, Michigan Jayhawk helicopter crew. A Station Sheboygan crew was also diverted from a nearby case to assist.
The Sheboygan crew eventually encountered the capsized vessel, a 17-foot Triton fishing boat, before locating and recovering one unresponsive person from the 53-degree waters. The vessel was reported to have been taking on water in 2-4 foot waves when they were caught broadside, overturning into the water.
A good samaritan who’d responded to the scene heard one person in the water yelling for help. A Port Washington Fire Department crew located that person and they were rescued by Station Milwaukee’s Coast Guard crew. The Jayhawk helicopter crew later located the third, unresponsive victim.
All three were taken to the Port Washington fuel pier before being eventually taken to Aurora Medical-Center Grafton.
The two unresponsive persons, found unconscious and not breathing, were pronounced dead despite lifesaving efforts. One was identified as a 50-year-old male and the other a 51-year-old female, both from Illinois. The third, who survived, was a 26-year-old Beloit man who was reported in stable condition.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Kimberly Miller, the Station Milwaukee Coxswain, said that “This all-hands effort highlights the partnership we have with our local partners; with their help we were able to find all three people from the vessel that sank tonight. The one responsive person we rescued was also wearing a life jacket, which was critical in buying us time to find them and pull them out.”
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