SAN DIEGO — A San Diego-based sportfishing boat rescued four Mexican fisherman who were lost adrift at sea about 20 miles off the Baja California coast.
The Red Rooster 3's crew spotted the panga in distress about 7:30 p.m. Thursday, 100 miles south of San Diego in international waters. The boat had broken down and was in danger of sinking.
"There were four guys in a panga that were shining a mirror at us and waving their arms in the air," said Ethan Childers, 23, the ship's captain. "Their outboard motor lost their transmission and had been drifting 9 or 10 o'clock that morning."
The four men in the Panga were urchin divers from Abuelitos who had taken their boat out for fun that morning. The Red Rooster, with a crew of 8 and 30 passengers, decided to take the men on board and tow their boat.
"They were visibly shaken, they were very scared, they were wet, and the whole procedure of getting them on the boat was dangerous," said Childers, via satellite phone. "I could see they were definitely afraid of what was going on."
As the crew was bringing the men back to shore, it spotted a Mexican Navy ship, which had been searching for the men.
The Red Rooster turned the men over, and is continuing with its five-day fishing trip in Baja California. It is scheduled to arrive back in San Diego 6 a.m. Tuesday.
