The U.S. Coast Guard sent two boats and a helicopter to save six passengers, six crewmembers, and the captain from the yacht Serena III off the South Florida coast last evening. While no one was reported injured, Serena III is likely a loss.
Coast Guard 7th District officials state that the distress call came in around 6 p.m. The yacht was said to be taking on water, about 13 nautical miles off Lauderdale-by-the-Sea. Seas were choppy, and winds were strong, complicating matters. The Coast Guard adds that the last person was taken off the yacht about 25 minutes before Serena III sank.
Via its Twitter account, Coast Guard 7th District officials shared photos of everyone safely aboard the rescue cutter. They further shared this video, shot by Coast Guardsmen who responded to the call. It shows the passengers of Serena III being rescued, and the yacht slipping beneath the water’s surface:
Part of the Serena III MAYDAY call was also released by the Coast Guard.
The Coast Guard and South Florida news reports have given the yacht’s LOA as 106 feet. However, Serena III is actually 121 feet (37 meters). She was built in Brazil by H. Dantas Construcao e Reparos Navais. The shipyard further served as the designer. Delivery took place in September 2012.
A Fort Lauderdale-based Sea Tow and private vessels in the area also responded to the distress call. A message on Sea Tow’s Facebook page states that Serena III was a customer. The same message states that its crew helped recover one of Serena III’s tenders, PWCs, and a life raft that had been deployed. It adds that the yacht is in about 1,200 feet of water and unrecoverable.
The Coast Guard is investigating what caused Serena III to sink.
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