The U.S. Coast Guard saved five people and a dog from a sinking 52-foot boat in Saginaw Bay, Michigan, on Wednesday.
Around 11:30 a.m. on July 1, the Coast Guard Station Saginaw River in Essexville received a notification from Bay County Central Dispatch that a 52-foot boat was sinking, M Live reported. The owner of the boat made the call to dispatch.
The Coast Guard used a 45-foot response boat to rescue those on board. While it was on its way, another boat passenger called the Coast Guard directly.
“When we arrived on scene, there was already (a woman) in the water getting smashed against the boat from the waves,” BM2 Adam Voigt said, according to M Live. “When we got there, we quickly realized there was no saving the boat and we had to get (the woman) out of the water and the rest of the people off of the boat before it went down.”
Coast Guard crews tossed a line to the woman trapped in the water, and also rescued the four others stuck aboard the ship, including a German Shepherd, the Detroit Free Press reported.
“A lot of them were in shock,” Voigt said. “They were very nervous. It was difficult to get them to calm down and help themselves. One individual was in and out of consciousness.”
Coast Guard crews brought the five people back to shore, where they refused medical attention.
A salvage crew was working on a plan as of Thursday to save the sunken boat, according to the Detroit News.