5 people ejected in Freeport boat crash, leaving couple dead and 1 injured, officials say

FREEPORT, Texas (KTRK) -- The Coast Guard and its partners assisted four people Saturday night after a fatal boat crash near Freeport.

At about 9:15 p.m., Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston watchstanders received a call from a man operating a 22-foot pleasure craft saying he had been involved in a boat collision with a 24-foot pleasure craft in the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway.

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The boater, along with three passengers, was traveling northbound when they collided head-on with a reportedly unlit 24-foot vessel, traveling southbound.

Officials said the boater's three passengers were ejected from the 22-foot vessel, as were the two people, a husband, and wife, from the other boat.

Watchstanders then directed the launch of a Coast Guard Station Freeport 29 response boat and helicopter crew from the Coast Guard Air Station Houston to search for the remaining boaters, according to authorities.

Captain Pete, along with his crew in a nearby towing vessel, and a Gulf Coast Rescue Squad boat crew also began to search the area.

Two of the men thrown from the 22-foot vessel reportedly swam to the 24-foot vessel, climbed aboard the empty boat, and began searching the area for their still-missing family member.

The response boat arrived on scene and met with the rest of the crew, who had found an unresponsive woman thrown from the 24-foot vessel.

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After the Coast Guard crew took aboard the woman's body and continued searching the area, they located the third survivor ejected from the 22-foot vessel. He was conscious with a minor head injury, officials said.

Around midnight, Gulf Coast Rescue Squad personnel located the other man thrown from the 24-foot craft, but he was found unresponsive.

The Coast Guard crew took the man's body aboard and brought the two dead and all survivors ashore to Surfside Marina in Freeport. Emergency medical services personnel evaluated the survivors and provided care to the two men with minor injuries.

Texas Parks & Wildlife Department personnel are investigating the incident.

"Although this case did not end the way we wanted, with all boaters safe and unharmed, we are thankful that teamwork with our commercial and agency partners enabled us to assist the survivors quickly," said Chief Warrant Officer 3 Jeremy Borja. "We offer our heartfelt sympathies to the family of the two boaters who didn't make it and wish them swift healing in the wake of this tragedy."