Coast Guard Rescues 41 From San Francisco Bay

BERKELEY, CA --Forty-one passengers were rescued this afternoon from San Francisco Bay after a boat ran aground near the Berkeley Marina, U.S. Coast Guard officials said. A distress call was received by the Coast Guard at 2:20 p.m. from the ferryboat Osprey, Coast Guard Lt. Bryan Barr said.

The 52-foot Osprey had 41 passengers and two crewmembers aboard when it got caught on the Berkeley reef.

Coast Guard crews along with Berkeley firefighters arrived and evacuated the passengers and took them to the Berkeley Marina.

"When we pulled up to the vessel, we knew we needed to get the passengers off as safely and quickly as possible," Seaman Jared Reyes, a boat crewmember from Coast Guard Station San Francisco, said in a statement.

Reyes added, "We were fortunate to be able to do so. It's what we train for."

The Osprey's two crewmembers stayed on board with Coast Guard investigators.

Of the 41 passengers, two reported injuries and were transferred to paramedics.

Guard officials said no one has reported any pollution from the grounding. The cause of the grounding is under investigation.