NEWPORT BEACH : Couple Honored for Saving 7 From Sea
Local residents Mary and Bob Shackleton were honored Friday by the Coast Guard for their August, 1989, rescue of seven stranded sailors.
The Shackletons had been heading home from a Sunday afternoon sail to Santa Catalina Island when they spotted a 40-foot powerboat anchored off Avalon with smoke coming from the cabin. As they headed toward the craft, the seven people put on their life vests and jumped overboard to escape the flames.
“As it turned out, the owner of the boat was an FBI agent and had about 500 rounds of ammunition on board,” Mary Shackleton said. “That’s why they all got off the boat so fast.”
All seven people escaped unharmed before the “Quentgalic” exploded. The Shackletons rescued the group from the water and took them to shore while fire boats battled the blaze.
The Shackletons were awarded the Coast Guard Certificate of Merit at a ceremony in Long Beach. The award recognizes skill, courage and humanitarianism.
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