Coast Guard rescues three shipwrecked in Golfo Dulce

By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

The National Coast Guard Service at the Golfito station rescued three Costa Ricans who had been shipwrecked after their boat had sunk in Golfo Dulce* sea, on the southern area of the Pacific Coast.

According to the police report, the crew of the boat were recreational fishermen, surnamed Ruh-Guevara, 33, Guevara-Chávez, 63, and Rojas-Miranda, 49.

"On the afternoon of Saturday, was received a 911 call," said Martin Arias, general director of the National Coast Guard. "The alert was about a boat that had tipped over near Cape Matapalo on the Osa Peninsula in the Golfo Dulce sea zone."

The emergency call was answered by the GC45-2 patrol boat, which was at that time near the area on a routine patrol.

When the officers found the three crew members, one of them was still clinging to part of the boat, which had not sunk yet. The other men managed to survive because the three had put on their life jackets and found a buoy to hold on to, said the coast guard.

"The three had sailed that morning for a recreational trip during which they also planned to fish," said the Coast Guard officers in its statement.

The three survivors received basic medical attention aboard the Coast Guard boat and were taken to Puerto Jiménez. "All three were in good health, so they didn't need to be taken to a clinic for further medical attention," said the Coast Guard officers.

Also, the officers managed to secure the fishing boat to the patrol boat and tow it to Puerto Jiménez.

According to the Coast Guard report, the boat had overturned due to the bad weather prevailing in that sector of the Golfo Dulce during Saturday afternoon.

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