NEW ORLEANS — Four people were rescued from the waters near Venice on Wednesday when their boat began to take on water.

The Coast Guard saved the lives of four individuals, two of them children, when they found themselves stranded in a sinking boat 17 miles south of Southwest Pass near Venice.

Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector New Orleans received a call on VHF radio channel 16 at 9:23 a.m. reporting the emergency and stressing that children were on board.

“The fact that they were able to call in on channel 16 using their radio and reported the situation and how many people were aboard greatly assisted the crews in the search,” said Lt. Cmdr. Patrick Plummer, search and rescue mission coordinator, Sector New Orleans. “The crews knew what they were looking for and the general area the call came from which resulted in the family’s safe return. We strongly recommended that if you are planning on going out on the water you have the proper safety equipment in the event an accident happens.”

More than one crew assisted in the rescue. A Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew and a Coast Guard Aviation Training Center Mobile, Alabama HC-144 Ocean Sentry airplane crew were diverted, along with a Coast Guard Station Venice 45-foot Response Boat—Medium boat crew directed to launch to assist in the search.

The airplane crew located the four people holding onto the side of the overturned vessel and the assisting helicopter crew lowered a rescue swimmer until the station boat crew arrived on scene and assisted all four people to safety.

The four people were reported in good condition and brought back to Venice Marina with no medical concerns.

Click here for more information on the District 8 Coast Guard.