Five people were rescued from a sinking 50-foot boat after it struck a buoy and began to take on water in Baltimore Harbor Friday night, officials said Saturday.
No one was injured in the incident near Fort McHenry, which was reported in a 911 call about 7 p.m. Friday, said Petty Officer First Class Nathan Henise, a spokesman for the U.S. Coast Guard in Baltimore.
A Baltimore Fire Department boat first responded to the scene and rescued the five unidentified people on the sinking vessel, said Henise. A spokesman for the fire department did not immediately respond to calls for comment.
The boat — a Sea Ray pleasure craft — was apparently making its way to the harbor when it struck the buoy, part of a configuration of navigational aids for boats in the area. The fire department will conduct an investigation into the crash, the Coast Guard spokesman said. A boat from the Coast Guard office in Curtis Bay also responded and determined there was not any significant damage to the buoy.
The owner of the vessel arranged to have the partially submerged boat towed from the site this morning by BoatUS, a commercial salvage company.