SAN DIEGO — Three seasick and dehydrated recreational anglers were plucked from their disabled 21-foot runabout in heavy seas approximately 27 miles southwest of San Diego Harbor the night of Oct. 20.

Photo by: U.S. Coast Guard Back at the Dock — Coast Guard personnel rescued three sport anglers 27 miles off San Diego, after their 1970s-era cuddy cabin boat became disabled in heavy seas and their radio stopped working. A Vessel Assist crew towed the boat back to port.

The men were brought aboard a 33-foot Coast Guard patrol boat, taken to Coast Guard Sector San Diego, examined by emergency medical personnel and released in good condition.

The anglers had left San Diego Bay at approximately 5:30 a.m. and set out for offshore fishing grounds approximately 35 miles southwest of Point Loma. After catching some yellowfin tuna, they noticed seas building into a confused state and began headed toward the harbor. About 27 miles from shore, their 1970s-vintage Wellcraft Nova 210’s engine died. They attempted to contact the Coast Guard on VHF Channel 16, but their radio would not broadcast. They could hear other transmissions.

Darkness soon set in and the men bobbed around, waving a red signal flag, until they were somehow spotted by crewmen aboard a MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter on routine patrol, at approximately 10 p.m.

The helicopter crew radioed Coast Guard Sector San Diego, which dispatched the patrol craft. Due to heavy seas and strong winds, the outboard-powered craft was unable to safely tow the runabout to port.

The stricken Wellcraft was left at sea, and Coast Guard dispatchers contacted Vessel Assist.

“It was tough going just to get out there,” said Vessel Assist Capt. Eric Lamb. “We buried the bow of our 33-footer about every third wave.”

Because of rough and steep seas, the Vessel Assist craft Shelter Island’s radar could not pick up the 21-foot fiberglass runabout. Lamb and crewman Shane Thompson spotted the craft at approximately 5 a.m., only by virtue of a faint navigation light — about 7 miles from the spot where it became disabled.

“The seas were so steep and confused that you couldn’t see the boat on radar,” Lamb said. “Everything looked like it might be a target, but on the next sweep of the display, you’d see nothing. The craft never came up on radar until we had it in sight, about 100 yards away.”

After several unsuccessful tries at pulling the runabout near with a pole, Lamb backed Shelter Island to the runabout and Thompson leaped from boat to boat, to secure the tow line. Thompson jumped back aboard Shelter Island before commencing the five-hour tow back to harbor.

There was no immediate information on the cause of the runabout’s engine failure or that of the VHF radio. The names of the mariners were not made public. The boat’s owner is a Vessel Assist member.