4 rescued from sinking tugboat in Sabine Pass after crew frees men trapped below deck

Sabine Pass, Texas (KPLC) - Four crewmembers were rescued from a sinking tugboat in Sabine Pass Friday morning after two of the crew freed the crewmen trapped in the galley, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

Crewmembers of the 71-foot Sea Cypress called for help around 5:30 a.m., reporting that the tugboat was capsizing while moored near the mouth of the Sabine Pass channel.

Two crewmen cut a hole in the bulkhead with a handheld torch to free the other two crewmen, who were trapped in the galley as the boat was sinking, according to the Coast Guard.

A Coast Guard response boat took the four crewmembers to safety. They were brought to Southeast Texas Medical Center in Port Arthur in stable condition, according to the Coast Guard.

“We are glad that the tugboat crew was able to think outside the box and that we were able to quickly get all four of them to safety,” said Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Ian Murray, search and rescue mission coordinator at Sector Houston-Galveston.

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