On Thursday, a Coast Guard helicopter attempted to rescue a man and two dogs on a 40-foot sailboat in the Gulf of Mexico, about 75 miles south of Southwest Pass, Louisiana. They were responding to a distress call from the boat.
Much to the surprise of the helicopter crew, the man on the sailboat fired gunshots at the helicopter.
The crew abandoned their rescue effort and escaped the scene after they heard the threatening sound of shots striking the helicopter.
On Friday, the Coast Guard returned in an airplane, accompanied by a boat, and found the boater. They arrested him, reportedly, “without incident.”
“Safety of life was our number one priority during this challenging incident,” said Lt. Phillip VanderWeit, a spokesperson for the Eighth Coast Guard District.
“Through the professional and skillful work of our crews and interagency partners, we were able to bring this incident to a peaceful resolution.”
No news yet about the boater’s motivation, and why he made a distress call. Watch for updates.
