Charter boat fishermen save couple from sinking boat.

June 3, 2019

– Oceana County Sheriff’s Office photo of the salvaged boat.

Charter boat fishermen save couple from sinking boat.

PENTWATER – Thanks to the quick actions of a charter boat crew, two people aboard a sinking boat near the Pentwater Channel were saved Sunday, June 2.

Charles Mears State Park rangers notified Mason-Oceana 911 of a boat sinking at the mouth of the Pentwater Channel with two occupants on board just before noon Sunday, states a press release from the Oceana County Sheriff’s Office.

“Mason-Oceana 911 dispatched marine patrol and other resources to the scene. A 55-year-old Hesperia man and a 54-year-old Sterling Heights woman were on board an 18-foot bass boat when the incident occurred about one mile north of the pier heads of the Pentwater channel.

“The boat occupants discovered water in the boat. After checking into it, they went into shore to check that the drain plug was in, which it was, and began to bail water out of the boat. After bailing the water out of the boat and heading back out to come back to port, the main engine would not start. The boaters used their trolling motor to get back to the mouth of the channel when waves continued to come over the stern of the boat.

“While on their way back into port after a morning of fishing, charter boat ‘Sportsman,’ captained by Trevor Castonia and First Mate Cy Salt saw the 18-foot bass boat was in distress, taking on water. Captain Castonia told Deputy Tim Simon (of the sheriff’s office marine patrol) that he and his first mate instructed the boaters to put on their life jackets. When the ‘Sportsman’ pulled up on scene, the boat was already sinking and people were in the water. The ‘Sportsman’ crew threw life rings to both boaters and pulled them onto their boat to safety.

“The ‘Sportsman’ crew transported the boaters to the Pentwater Village Marina where they were met by the sheriff’s office marine division. Both boaters refused medical treatment.

“Deputy Simon reported that without the assistance and quick thinking on the part of the ‘Sportsman’ crew, they may have been performing a different kind of rescue. Deputy Simon said Mr. Castonia and Mr. Salt did a great job and was grateful that they were in the right place at the right time. There were no other boats in the area at that time to be able to render aid. The US Coast Guard – Station Ludington crew responded and tied the boat off so it could be salvaged at a later time. Boat Tow US came on Monday, June 3, to salvage the boat and remove it from the shoreline.”

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