Texas: Coast Guard rescues 3 from offshore oil rig near Freeport after vessel sinks

Freeport is a city located about 60 miles south of Houston

The U.S. Coast Guard rescued three boaters from an offshore oil rig platform near Freeport, Texas early Sunday morning.

Officials said that Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston received a report at approximately 3 a.m. that the three watchstanders from Matagorda County Sheriff's Office were left stranded after their vessel began taking on water and sank. The Coast Guard then sent a crew to retrieve them.

"Watchstanders issued an urgent marine information broadcast and directed the launch of a Coast Guard Station Freeport 45-foot Response Boat–Medium crew and diverted an HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircrew to assist," the U.S. Coast Guard said in a press release.

It added: "The Coast Guard aircrew located and relayed the position of the survivors to the boat crew. Once the boat crew arrived on the scene, the three men were taken aboard and brought to Surfside Marina."

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A Coast Guard Station Freeport 45-foot Response Boat-Medium boatcrew rescues three boaters aboard an oil rig after their vessel began sinking near Freeport, Texas on May 21, 2023.  (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Station Freeport)

Freeport is a city located about 60 miles south of Houston. It has just over 10,000 residents.

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A boatcrew rescued boaters and transferred them to Surfside Marina in Freeport, Texas on May 22, 2023. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Station Freeport)

Three men called to be rescued from an oil rig after they were left stranded early Sunday morning.  (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Station Freeport)

The boaters were in stable condition.

The day before, on Saturday, May 20, members of the Coast Guard, the U.S. Army, the U.S. Navy, the Air Force, the National Guard, and the Space Force celebrated Armed Forces Day.