Fishermen Rescued Off Mendocino Coast

The Coast Guard was called twice this week after a starter failed in one boat and another capsized

An albacore fishing expedition turned into a rescue mission on Thursday morning. (Photo courtesy of Tim Gillespie)

This story was updated on Friday, August 29, 1:52 p.m. with additional details from the U.S. coast guard.

An exceptional morning of albacore fishing turned into a rescue mission Thursday morning when Captain Tim Gillespie, owner of All Aboard Adventures, spotted an overturned boat about 28 miles offshore.

Gillespie was fishing with six others aboard his vessel. The ocean was flat, the sun was shining, and the fishing was good.

Around 10:45 a.m., Gillespie noticed the small craft with two men clinging to the hull. “Man, that boat is awful small… that boat’s upside down,” he recalled saying to the crew. The fishermen quickly pulled in their gear and maneuvered alongside the stranded men.

The 24-foot Marlin had reportedly taken a few waves over the bow and the two crew men couldn’t keep up with bailing, eventually capsizing. Gillespie said he offered to bring the men to shore, but they preferred to wait for the Coast Guard on Gillespie’s boat. About 45 minutes later, a patrol boat arrived and safely transferred the two men back to Noyo Harbor.

“I’ve been doing this for 49 years and this is the first time I ever rescued anybody from sea,” Gillespie said. “You never pass up a boat that’s sunk when people are waving at you.”

U.S. Coast Guard Public Affairs Specialist Petty Officer Kenneth Wise said the Marlin was still out there and that the coast guard had issued an advisory of a navigation hazard and asked people to steer clear.

Wise also shared information about another vessel that got stranded on Monday afternoon, August 25, just off the coast of the village of Mendocino. A 33-foot commercial fishing boat, the Miss Michelle (CF 7223SG), was reported to have starting issues at 2:47 p.m. Coast Guard personnel stationed at Little River retrieved the vessel and towed it to Noyo Harbor. Wise said the vessel’s three crew members, who had been diving for sea urchins, were not injured. The Coast Guard also reported no pollution concerns.