5 boaters rescued when boat collides near Galveston on Fourth of July, Coast Guard says

GALVESTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Five people are recovering after the boat they were in collided near Galveston, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

The incident happened at 9:41 p.m. on the Fourth of July. Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston command center received a call from the captain of a towing vessel that an 18-foot pleasure craft had collided with a barge and capsized just east of the Galveston Causeway.

The Coast Guard said the boaters were in the water, sustained injuries, and were not wearing life jackets.

While Coast Guard rescue crews responded to the scene, good Samaritans in a nearby towing vessel pulled all five boaters from the water. A helicopter arrived on the scene, hoisted two boaters, one who suffered a head injury and one with a broken leg, and took them to the University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston.

The remaining three boaters suffered minor injuries. They were taken to Station Galveston and then transported to UTMB.

All survivors were last reported to be stable. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

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