Eight boaters rescued from waters near Coyote Point

SAN MATEO, Calif. -- Eight boaters near Coyote Point in San Mateo County were rescued from a sinking canoe Saturday afternoon.

Shortly after noon, the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office Marine Unit was on a routine patrol in the waters north of Coyote Point Yacht Harbor when the harbormaster alerted them to a nearby ship in distress.

Three sheriff's vessels redirected to the area and located eight people with a sinking outrigger canoe about a mile from shore, deputies said.

Upon arrival, deputies learned that the stabilizing pontoon had broken free from the outrigger.

When deputies arrived, those who had been in the canoe were in the water, hanging onto another outrigger canoe as well as their sinking boat in an effort to stop their disabled boat from capsizing.

The Sheriff's Office Marine Unit transferred the eight people one by one onto sheriff's vessels. All eight boaters and their boats were safely transferred to the sheriff's vessels and brought back to Coyote Point, deputies said.

The rescued boaters were offloaded onto shore where paramedics were waiting to evaluate and treat them for injuries.

According to deputies, the boaters were treated for minor injuries at the scene and nobody was transported to the hospital, deputies said.

The San Mateo County Sheriff's Office is reminding boaters to wear life jackets or wetsuits when appropriate.