Three people who reported being stranded and disoriented in their disabled boat off the Texas coast this weekend later turned up on land in a rescue that spanned two days.
The Coast Guard announced the rescue in a statement late Sunday.
The trio called for help Friday night as their 22-foot boat was adrift in Matagorda Bay, but were unsure of their location. The boat had launched from Froggies Bait Dock in Port O'Connor in an attempt to reach a cabin on north Matagorda Island, the Coast Guard said.
The search continued into Saturday amid rain and strong winds. Rescuers in an airplane spotted the three people late Saturday afternoon on the beach 21 miles south of the Matagorda jetties after their boat washed ashore.
A helicopter picked up a man, 56, and a woman, 42, who were treated for hypothermia. The third man said he was unharmed and refused to leave the isolated area, the Coast Guard said. The weather worsened and the Coast Guard contacted personnel with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Department in an effect to locate the man, who was found safe Sunday.
"We are extremely happy this case had three happy endings," Lt. Cmdr. Nathan Allen said. "We had great teamwork between our air and surface assets to find the three boaters after a long search. The two who climbed onboard our helicopter made the right decision to be taken away from danger."
"The third man is extremely lucky to be found by our partner agencies," Allen said.
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Names of the three people were not immediately released.
