Tug crew uses flare to free trapped crew members in dramatic rescue off Texas coast

A heroic rescue unfolded Friday when the crew of a tugboat picking up water in Sabine Pass, Texas, used a flashlight to extricate two trapped crew members.

Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston Command Center Guardsmen received a mayday call at 5:38 a.m. from the 71-foot towboat, the sea ​​cypresswho reported that the tug capsized near the mouth of the Sabine Pass Canal.

In response to the urgent maritime traffic information broadcast, a 45-foot strike boat medium crew was brought to the scene by Coast Guard Sabine.

Meanwhile, two of sea ​​cypress Crew members showed remarkable ingenuity, using a hand lamp to cut a hole in the bulkhead and freeing two crew members trapped in the partially submerged ship’s galley.

Shortly thereafter, the Coast Guard boat crew arrived, took all four tug crews on board and transported them safely to Station Sabine. Jefferson County rescue personnel evaluated the rescued sailors before transporting them to Southeast Texas Medical Center in Port Arthur, Texas, in stable condition.

Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Ian Murray, search and rescue mission coordinator for the Houston-Galveston sector, praised the ingenuity of the tug crew, saying, “We’re glad the tug crew was able to think outside the box and we were able to get all four of us quickly to safety.”