Coast Guard Assists Boaters on Lake St. Clair

The U.S. Coast Guard assisted two boaters who were stranded on Lake St. Clair Sunday night after their boat battery died.

The Coast Guard reported that that a search-and-rescue watchstander at Coast Guard Sector Detroit received a report of a flare sighting in the vicinity of Gaukler Shoals, which is east of 10 Mile in Lake St. Clair.

Another boater contacted the Coast Guard via VHF-FM marine radio after seeing the flare about 6:45 p.m., and stayed in contact with personnel during the rescue. About 10 minutes after receiving the call, personnel form Coast Guard Station St. Clair Shores arrived on the scene.

The disabled vessel was towed to Jefferson Beach Marina. The names of the two men, who tried to wave down passing boaters before they shot the flare,  are not being released, according to the Coast Guard.

“This was a successful case because the boaters who became disabled were prepared and had non-expired flares onboard their boat,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Zachary Griepsma, coxswain of the SPC-LE, in a release.  "Rescues or assists that come from flare sightings don’t often come out successful because many boaters don’t use flares properly or don’t shoot them off at the appropriate times. Plus boaters often times don’t know how to properly report a flare sighting.”