Coast Guard rescues boater in accident while searching for missing man in Galveston

GALVESTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The Coast Guard rescued a man who had been in a boating accident while they were searching for a missing boater on Monday.

At 8:22 p.m., while on the water searching for a 51-year-old man who didn't return after renting a boat, Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston watchstanders got a notification from a helicopter crew that an unmanned, adrift, 22-foot vessel with bow damage was found near the Galveston South Jetty.

The video above is ABC13's 24/7 livestream.

When crews arrived, they found a man yelling for help on the jetties. The Coast Guard said the boater had collided with the jetty and was in distress.

The boat crew took the man aboard and transported him to EMS personnel who were on standby.

The man's boat was so damaged in the accident that crews were unable to tow it ashore, the Coast Guard said.

Crews wouldn't have been in the area to rescue the boater if they hadn't already been on the water, searching for a different man.

READ MORE: Coast Guard searching for missing man who didn't return after renting boat in Galveston

The owner of a boating rental service at the Galveston Yacht Marina called the Coast Guard at 7 p.m. on Sunday and reported that a renter had not returned after departing at 2:30 p.m.

The caller said the missing man intended to visit the SS Selma and return before sunset. He's described as a white male last seen in a 22-foot center console boat with a blue top.

USCG Heartland tweeted a photo of what the boat looks like.

Coast Guard officials said it's unclear if the man was wearing a life jacket.

Anyone with information that may assist search efforts should contact Sector Houston-Galveston at (281) 464-4851.