Coast Guard saves three from tipped boat offshore

The U.S. Coast Guard central command center in Morehead City conducted a successful sea rescue Sunday in waters off the coast from Camp Lejeune Marine Corps base.

Coast Guard personnel rescued three people from a 21-foot boat that capsized in the vicinity of waters near the Camp Lejeune warning area, near Buoy 57, said John Moore, command duty officer for the Guard's Sector North Carolina center.

Three Coast Guard vessels were dispatched to the rescue which started around noon Saturday.

The capsized boat's partial position was relayed to the command center via a New York commercial boat center, which received a broadcast from a Good Samaritan boater who was also off the Carolina coast, Moore said.

A 25-foot rescue boat from Emerald Isle, an H-60 helicopter from Elizabeth City and a 47-foot Coast Guard ship from Morehead City responded to the rescue call.

Moore said the rescuers acted on available information from the partial latitude and complete longitudinal information supplied to them.

"The only possible search area in our waters was along the longitudinal line, so we followed it and that's where the boat was found. Sometimes things do work out," Moore said.

Rescued from the capsized boat, which originated from Beaufort, were Clint Rouse, Will Collins and a third man whose identity was not known, Moore said.

A commercial salvage company was contacted to tend to the capsized boat, Moore said.

Paul Jefferson: 538-2955

paul.jefferson@starnewsonline.com