SAN CARLOS, Mexico (2 Oct 2001) -- Sixteen people forced to abandon a sinking dive boat in the Gulf of California drifted in life boats for 21 hours before being rescued Monday. "Everyone is safe and in good health," said Barbara Leah Wilson, of Scottsdale, Ariz., owner of Poseidon's Mistress, a charter boat specializing in scuba diving that had been based in the Pacific coast port of San Carlos. The boat's captain, Wilson's fiance, Don Stanbro, also of Scottsdale, called Wilson on Sunday morning to say the 137-ton vessel was damaged, and called back less than an hour later to say it was sinking and those aboard had to abandon it. Besides the captain, the boat carried five Mexican crew members and 10 Mexican passengers, Wilson said. Fighting turbulent seas, the crew got lifeboats in the water before the ship went under, Wilson said. Twelve people drifted 60 miles before landing on a beach at Punta Hueso de Ballena, on the Sonora coast early Monday. The other four, drifting in a separate boat, were located later by a navy helicopter, she said. | | Poseidon's Mistress They floated for about 21 hours, Wilson said. "It's a miracle they are OK." Poseidon's Mistress left the Marina Real in San Carlos on Wednesday and may have run into trouble when Hurricane Juliette stirred up the Gulf of California, said Wilson. Juliette lashed the southern Baja California peninsula last week with heavy rains and high winds that killed three people, smashed docks along the coast and destroyed hundreds of homes. © CDNN - CYBER DIVER NEWS NETWORK |
