From Bee Staff:
Two men and their dog got an unexpected helicopter ride, courtesy of the U.S. Coast Guard, after their boat ran aground in the Delta near Rio Vista.
(At the bottom of this story is a video of the rescue supplied by the Coast Guard.)
That area of the Delta is dotted with small islands that can be hazardous to small boats, the Coast Guard said.
The Coast Guard gave this account of the rescue:
Coast Guard Station Vellejo received a distress call Tuesday night at approximately 9 p.m.
The Coast Guard sent a 25-foot boat to rescue the stranded men on Tuesday night, the craft could not get close enough for a rescue.
A Coast Guard swimmer delivered a cell phone to the men so they could stay in contact and then the Coast Guard boat returned Wednesday morning.
In daylight, the boat's crew could see that the water was too shallow to rescue the men and the dog.
A MH-65 rescue helicopter, from Air Station San Francisco, was diverted from a routine patrol to rescue the two men. The men and the dog were lifted off the island at approximately 1 p.m. Wednesday.
The two men and dog were transported to Concord Airport around 3 p.m. They were all reported in good condition.
To see a video of the rescue, click the following:
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