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NEW ORLEANS — The Coast Guard and good Samaritans rescued two boaters Tuesday, approximately 63 miles from Dauphin Island, Alabama.

Coast Guard Sector Mobile watchstanders received a call over VHF channel 16 at 11:57 a.m. from commercial tug Linda Moran reporting that they rescued two boaters from a raft. Watchstanders coordinated the launch of a Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans MH-60 Jayhawk aircrew and diverted the Coast Guard Cutter Jacob Poroo to assist.

The boaters reported that they had been at sea since Saturday evening when their boat sank. They fired a total of six flares. The first five had negative results and their final flare caught the attention of the Linda Moran crew.

The helicopter crew arrived on scene, airlifted the two boaters and transferred them to emergency medical services personnel at Pensacola Regional Airport.

“The Coast Guard commends the assistance rendered by Tug Linda Moran to the two distressed mariners,” said Cmdr. Kathleen Sullivan, Search and Rescue Mission Coordinator. “This event highlights the importance of proper utilization of safety equipment, to include the use of rafts and flares, by all mariners.”

The two boaters were last reported to be in stable condition.

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