POLICE officers rescued two men from a 14-foot homemade boat that capsized outside Sugar Dock Channel on Sunday morning.
Mario M. Reyes and Jeffrey Santos were treated for minor bruises and scratches by medical technicians at Sugar Dock and were released, police said yesterday.
Reyes and Santos were holding onto the boat for 30 minutes as the current drifted them toward the reef near Hopwood Junior High School.
Department of Public Safety spokesman Pete C. Muna said that Reyes and his brother-in-law, Santos, went out trolling at 7 a.m.
After several hours of fishing, Reyes and Santos decided to head back to Sugar Dock because the waters started to get rough.
As the two were going into the channel, a big wave came from behind and slammed the boat, causing it to flip.
Santos was thrown out of the boat and was dragged 40 feet away from it by the current. Reyes managed to hang onto the steering wheel underneath the boat in the water.
Reyes then encouraged Santos to swim toward him. When Santos was within reach, Reyes grabbed his hand and pulled him toward the boat.
Reyes dove into the water to recover the flares. He then fired three night flares and one daylight flare to signal for help.
Somebody saw the flares and called DPS at 10:54 a.m.
Police Sgt. Johnny Tomei and Capt. Calley Camacho from Big Boyz Jet Ski Concession responded to the area on board jet skis and rescued the victims.
A few minutes later, Boating Safety Police Officer Michael A. Camacho and Ray Dowai rushed to the scene on jet skis. Later, Boating Safety Police Officers Anthony Diaz and Patrick Togawa arrived aboard Zodiac II rescue boat.
The rescuers tried to turn the capsized vessel, but were unsuccessful due to the rough waters. The boat was also too close to the reef line.
“All the officers (and civilians) involved in the rescue should be commended for their bravery in risking their lives to save another. It’s a job well done,” Muna said.
