BOATING Safety Unit and Emergency Management Office officers rescued two groups of people from two stranded boats over the weekend.
Department of Public Safety spokesman Pete C. Muna said Rick Sandler, the captain of Marlin II, and his crew were spotted by the rescue team 46 miles southwest of Saipan on Sunday at 2 a.m.
Muna said in the second incident, Akira Ishikawa and three other people on a 36-foot boat were brought to Smiling Cove Marina on Sunday at 8:45 p.m.
Muna said on Saturday afternoon, authorities received a call from Marlin II that the boat had ran out of fuel.
EMO and the Boating Safety Unit chartered a tugboat and carried 55 gallons of fuel. The rescue team spotted the 41-foot Marlin II on Sunday at 2 a.m. and filled the boat’s gas tank until it started.
The rescue team and Marlin II returned to Saipan six hours later.
Muna said the report did not mention whether the occupants of Marlin II were given citations. It was also not indicated whether they were out for fishing.
“If you are in the water and you ran out of fuel that’s considered negligence,” Muna said.
In the other incident, Ishikawa’s group left the beach at Nikko Hotel at 10:30 a.m.
While the boat was heading back to Saipan at 3:50 p.m., the boat’s bearing shack driver failed to function. Ishikawa’s group then called Civil Defense.
DPS rescue team brought them back safely to Smiling Cove Marina at 8:45 p.m.
