Three adults and two children stranded at sea near the Zuniga Jetty off the coast of San Diego aboard their boat were rescued by the Coast Guard late Saturday, the San Diego Coast Guard said.
Their 18-foot boat lost power after their engine overheated and the boat drifted toward the Zuniga Jetty just outside San Diego Bay, the Coast Guard said. A good Samaritan towed the vessel away from the rocks and the crew reset their anchor.
After their anchor broke free a second time, the mariners grew concerned and called 911 at 6:20 p.m. once they began to drift dangerously close to the jetty.
"The boaters were not well prepared for the conditions," said Coast Guard Petty Officer 1st Class Matthew Kramer, an operations specialist with the Joint Harbor Operations Center. "We recommend all boaters wear their life jackets at all times, monitor the weather closely and take a safe boating course."
A 33-foot rescue boat from the Coast Guard arrived and found the boat approximately 25 yards away from the rocks and towed it to the Shelter Island boat ramp. The children, 12 and 13 years old, and the three adults arrived safely to shore around 8 p.m.
