SAN DIEGO—
A daring Coast Guard rescue was caught on tape Wednesday 200 miles southwest of San Diego.The Coast Guard San Diego sector received a distress call from the Crosswave, a 40 foot sail boat participating in the Baha Ha Ha race from San Diego to Cabo San Lucas. Crew members of the sinking vessel said a whale whacked the side of the boat causing it to take on water.
"We basically tried to pump the water out and the water was just gushing in," said vessel Skipper Eugenie Russell. "Within seven minutes the boat sank."
Russell was on the boat with another woman, Judy Land, and three men. Land and two others were training.
"I was praying the whole time," said Land. "I kept asking God to send us angels. I made all kinds of promises to God, which I intend to keep."
The crew held on to a life raft for four hours waiting to be rescued. They said they expected to be out in the water for up to three days. Rescuers said the crew did everything right. They stuck together, wore lifejackets, didn't panic and used an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) which let rescuers know their exact location.
"It definitely helped save their lives today," said Coast Guard rescuer LTJG Bill Burwell of the EPIRB.
The rescuers said the rough seas and high winds Wednesday made the save especially tricky. Jake Treichel was operating the rescue basket and said it was difficult to manage with the winds blowing at about 30 knots. He carefully hoisted each stranded boater up one by one.
"I'm putting everything I had into moving that basket around the fuel tank," said Treichel.
For Judy Land, this was her maiden sailing voyage.
She said of the rescue, "It was a miracle. It was like angels were coming to rescue us."
The crew of the Crosswave is from San Francisco, New York, Texas and San Diego. They say this is the fifth year they have participated in the Baha Ha Ha race. Rescuers said because of their own extensive training and the stranded crew's preparedness, Land got her prayer answered.
"All I want to do is go see my grandchildren," she said. "They're 20 months old and two weeks old, and that's all I could think about was I want to see my grandchildren grow up."
