Coast Guard rescues 2 people, dog from sinking boat off Georgia

The Coast Guard rescued two people and a dog from a sinking boat in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Georgia on Monday.

The Coast Guard said Tuesday that the 28-foot catamaran issued a distress call after it started taking on water near St. Catherine’s Sound in southern Georgia around 5:30 p.m. St. Catherine’s Sound is about about 70 miles southwest of Savannah.

A helicopter crew was dispatched from Coast Guard Air Station Savannah and arrived on the scene where they hoisted the people and their dog from the sinking vessel before it was completely submerged. When the helicopter arrived, the dog, named Reggie, was tied to a railing on the boat.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Tyler Murray said the crew found the boat quickly “because of an alert from their personal locator beacon.”

“A PLB transmits personalized distress signals and helps us find you during a search-and-rescue mission,” Murray said. “If you own a boat, the Coast Guard highly recommends this safety equipment. It can save your life as we saw firsthand.”

Coast Guard Station Tybee Island and Georgia Department of Natural Resources also responded.

“The two people and Reggie were transported to Hunter Army Airfield in good spirits!” the Coast Guard added.

No other details about the survivors or how the boat sank were made available.