Coast Guard crews were scouring the waters near Mobile Bay, Alabama, Sunday morning for four sailors who were still missing after a number of boats capsized when a sudden storm hit during a race there Saturday afternoon, leaving at least one person dead.
A thunderstorm caused several sailboats to capsize while they were participating in one of the races that was part of the Dauphin Island Sailing Regatta, according to Dauphin Island Mayor Jeff Collier. The Coast Guard said several people had been rescued from the water after the 4:30 p.m. storm, but four people remained missing Sunday.
Collier said one person was confirmed dead after the capsizes. He didn't know how many boats were in the water when winds of up to 80 mph rolled in, but he said usually 150 boats compete in the event.
Connor Gaston, who was participating in the race with his father, said his uncle's boat was in front of them. Gaston said their boat didn't capsize, but his uncle's boat did. "He was only a half mile ahead of us, but we couldn't see him when he went over because it was raining so hard," Gaston said.
Gaston said his uncle was rescued and he and his father weren't hurt, but his cousin suffered a serious arm injury.
"The wind picked up super, super fast when the storm was coming through," he said. "It was the most wind I have seen in my life."
The Coast Guard has deployed one patrol boat, four response boats, three helicopter crews and a surveillance aircraft to help local authorities with the search efforts, according to a statement.
— Elisha Fieldstadt
First published April 26 2015, 4:08 AM
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