2 Rescued as Sinking Boat Pulls Plug on Fishing Trip

Where’s Dennis Conner when you need him?

Two San Diego fishermen were rescued Friday afternoon when their 15-foot skiff leaked and capsized on its maiden voyage, dumping the pair into the water off Ocean Beach, the Coast Guard said.

Investigators said the men had forgotten to replace a bilge plug, and water flooded the boat about 3 p.m. as they reached their fishing destination 3 miles offshore, Petty Officer Dale Arden said.

Jeffrey Genett and William Tway were pulled from the water by a nearby sailboat. Neither man was injured, officials said.

“They felt pretty stupid,” Arden said of the pair. “This was something that could have been avoided.”

Arden said Genett had recently purchased the boat for $750 and had kept it on a trailer until Friday’s outing.

“When they put the boat in the water, they forgot to replace the plug near the outboard motor,” Arden said. “They were all right as long as the boat was moving in the water. But, as soon as they stopped to fish, the water came rushing in.”

As the men scrambled to start the engine and plug the leak, they rocked the small craft. Finally, a wave capsized the boat, toppling them into the water. The boat and the 40-horsepower motor sank.

“It’s kind of a boner,” Petty Officer Eric Mumma said. “Not swift.”

But other Coast Guard officials said that such accidents do happen.

“It’s really a pretty common occurrence,” Arden said. “People take their boats out and drain the bilge water and forget to replace the plug. Hey, it’s happened to me.”