3 men rescued from San Francisco Bay after sailboat capsizes

TIBURON, Calif. (KGO) -- There were tense moments for three boaters not wearing life jackets after their sailboat capsized in the bay on Wednesday.

All the boaters are now safe, thanks to some good Samaritans and the Coast Guard.

Three rescued boaters were still wet and wearing Coast Guard clothes when they climbed into the back of an ambulance.

The Coast Guard says their catamaran capsized around 2:30 p.m. in the bay, about a mile southeast of Sausalito.

Sky7 was overhead during Wednesday's very timely rescue five minutes after the men capsized.

A Blue and Gold Fleet ferry in the area was able to rescue one of the three boaters, who grabbed a life preserver from the ferry and was then able to swim to the boat.

Wednesday's wind and current made this all very difficult.

About 10 minutes later, the Coast Guard showed up and they were able to get a lot closer to the sinking sailboat to rescue the other two boaters.

According to the Coast Guard, the men were suffering from mild hypothermia and they do not believe they had proper safety gear or clothing.

"The initial response, we were told they were not wearing life jackets. That was passed to us. Our biggest message we can send to the public is please wear your life jacket and wear proper clothing because the bay water is usually much colder than the air temperature," U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class Robert Worobey said.

After being treated and evaluated by the Coast Guard and Marin County paramedics, the rescued boaters were escorted to an ambulance in Sausalito.

The men declined an interview but appeared to be OK.

The Blue and Gold Ferry says their captain, Jim Lilly, and his crew sprang into action when they saw the men in trouble in the water flapping their arms for help. Ferry crews are said to frequently train on man overboard rescue procedures.