PORT ARANSAS, Texas — AP reports that three Texas boaters missing for a week were reunited with their families early Sunday after they were found alive, sitting on top of their capsized catamaran 180 miles from land, the Coast Guard said.
The crew of the Affordable Fantasy spotted the men Saturday night off Port Aransas and rescued them from their 23-foot catamaran, said Petty Officer 3rd Class Renee Aiello. A Coast Guard boat met them and brought them back to land, where EMS crews were waiting for them. They declined medical attention.
The three were reported missing Aug. 22 after they left Matagorda, about 90 miles southwest of Houston, on a fishing trip and never returned. Port Aransas is about 130 miles from Matagorda.
"They probably stayed with the boat for almost eight days," said Aiello, who did not have any other details about what happened to the men during the week they were missing.
They were identified as Curtis Hall, 28, of Palacios; Tressel Hawkins, 43, of Markham; and James Phillips, 30, of Blessing, who owned the boat.
The Coast Guard had called off its search Friday after scouring 86,000 square miles of water without finding them.
KIII TV3 covered the story this morning...
Keith,
Oh my gosh, I didn't hear anything about this at all, what a great story.
KRIS TV 6 offers additional information here