Two rescued from sinking yacht south of Monterey Bay

MONTEREY BAY, Calif. (KION and CBS SF) Two people were rescued from a sinking yacht Thursday afternoon by the U.S. Coast Guard.

A Coast Guard spokesman told the CBS affiliate in the Bay Area that crew members issued a mayday call at about 11:45 a.m. They said it started taking on water about 35 miles south of the Monterey Bay.

A response boat from Coast Guard Station Monterey and a Coast Guard Air Station San Francisco Dolphin helicopter were sent to the scene, but when the yacht's crew said the flooding was under control, the Coast Guard canceled the helicopter, according to KPIX.

The response boat continued to the scene to help with dewatering while escorting it to the Monterey Bay.

A few hours after it started dewatering the ship, the Coast Guard said the rate of flooding increased and it had to call back the helicopter.

The Coast Guard told KPIX that the yacht lost electricity and engine power and began to sink at about 5:20 p.m. The boat eventually sunk about nine miles south of Monterey Bay. The Coast Guard said nobody was injured.

According to KPIX, the owner of the boat said it had about 1,200 gallons of diesel fuel aboard and was trying to salvage the vessel.