2 rescued from sinking boat near Kelleys Island

KELLEYS ISLAND — Two people were rescued after a small boat took on water southeast of Kelleys Island Saturday.The U.S. Coast Guard received a mayday call at about 12:15 p.m. from a boater who saw another vessel sinking, according to Coast Guard auxiliarist Fred Overholt. The sinking vessel was an approximately 17-foot long bass boat.The boater who made the mayday call rescued one of the sinking boat's occupants, and a Coast Guard vessel saved the second occupant. Nobody was hurt, Overholt said.The Erie County Sheriff's Office's marine patrol also responded and assisted at the scene, Chief Deputy Jared Oliver said. The sheriff's office posted images of the sinking boat on their Facebook page."This is just another reason why all boaters should be familiar with all of their safety equipment," the Facebook post states. "It is also recommended that you wear a personal flotation device at all times."It's not known what exactly what caused the boat to take on water. Tow Boat U.S. towed the sinking vessel to a nearby marina.Visit our U.S. Coast Guard hub for more storiesReach reporter Brandon Addeo at brandonaddeo@sanduskyregister.com, follow him on Twitter @BrandonAddeo and follow the Register at Facebook.com/SanduskyRegisterThe Erie County Sheriff's Office posted this picture of the sinking 17-foot long bass boat off the southeast coast of Kelleys Island Saturday, July 13.