Tug and Barge Involved in Collision with Sailboat Off San Francisco

A sailboat sank on Saturday near San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge after being struck by a tugboat. Two passengers were thrown into the water during the collision, and later rescued.

The tugboat and the barge it was towing collided with the sailboat on Saturday afternoon.

The U.S. Coast Guard was able to rescue one person; the San Francisco Fire Department located the second individual. Both were checked out by paramedics on shore, but no further medical attention was necessary.

The sailboat did subsequently sink. The barge and tug were ordered back to port to meet with a U.S. Coast Guard officer who will investigate the collision, reported CBS Local.

There was no report of pollution from the mishap.

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Due to various comments from readers, MarEx would like to note that sailboats are instructed to keep out of the way of large vessels in narrow channels, and ferryboats, as these large vessels have difficulty stopping and maneuvering. [According to U.S. Coast Guard Navigation Rules]