Yacht Carrying 49 People Rescued From Dense Fog On Lake Michigan

CHICAGO, IL — A yacht carrying 49 passengers was guided back to the shore by the Coast Guard Saturday night. The vessel was lost in dense fog and was drifting near Navy Pier, officials said. A passenger aboard the 56-foot yacht called 911 around 11 p.m., the Coast Guard said.

The passenger was concerned that the yacht's operator had become disoriented in the heavy fog, as visibility was less than a quarter-mile, officials said.

The Coast Guard was guided to the yacht by talking to the passenger on her cell phone, officials said. With almost no visibility, she had to rely on the sound of the rescue boat's horn to notify the Coast Guard as they neared the boat, officials said.

The yacht was escorted from the Chicago Maritime Safety Station into Monroe Harbor by the rescue boat, the Coast Guard said.

Coast Guard officials said the yacht, named "Serenity," didn't have a working radio system or GPS. The boat was also not carrying enough life jackets, Coast Guard officials said.

The yacht's operator was issued a violation for negligent operations and for sailing without the required navigation lights, officials said.

Image by Amber Fisher