8 rescued from sinking sailboat in San Francisco during windy conditions
San Francisco Fire Department officials said the captain declined a rescue and stayed with the sailboat until a tow arrived. The boat is used to teach high school girls to sail, but on this day it was part of a master sailing competition with an adult crew.
Eight people rescued from sinking sailboat in San Francisco
First responders were able to safely rescue people from a sailboat in distress amid windy conditions over the weekend. San Francisco Fire Department Lt. Mariano Elias joined FOX Weather on Tuesday and spoke with Meteorologist Kiyana Lewis about the rescue operation.
SAN FRANCISCO – First responders rescued eight people from a sailboat used to train high school girls to sail after windy conditions in San Francisco left the boat's captain clinging to the ropes.
San Francisco Fire Department officials said they responded to a call Saturday afternoon about a boat in distress outside the Marina Green.
The Fire Department and U.S. Coast Guard teams arrived to find a sailboat with nine people onboard taking on water. Eight of the occupants were taken to shore by rescue teams.
"Once our fire boats and jet skis arrived on the scene, they witnessed a sailboat with the mast down and nine people on board," SFFD Lt. Mariano Elias told FOX Weather.
Elias said the eight-person crew and the captain were taking part in a master sailing competition the day of the incident. However, the captain did not want to leave the sinking sailboat.
"The captain was the sole person who went against our recommendations to get off his boat," Elias said. "He said he was able to save it and was going to wait on his boat until a tow was able to bring him back to shore. So it was a little bit of a curveball for us. We did negotiate somewhat with the captain, but he wasn’t going to go down without a fight."
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A sailboat captain clings to the ropes of a sinking vessel in San Francisco on May 24, 2025 as first responders wait nearby.
(FOX Weather)
Photos and video showed the captain clinging to the sailboat ropes with the mast below the water during strong winds.
The National Weather Service office in the Bay Area reported wind gusts in San Francisco topping 20 mph Saturday.
Officials said everyone was wearing life jackets and no one was injured.
A sailboat captain clings to the ropes of a sinking vessel in San Francisco on May 24, 2025 as first responders wait nearby.
(San Francisco Fire Department / FOX Weather)
Officials said the sailboat is used to teach high school girls how to sail.
"This vessel is normally used for a sea scout program, which does teach high school girls how to sail," Elias said. "This particular day, it turns out, they were all adults, all nine people, and they were rescued immediately by our crews."
The sailboat was over 100 years old and made of wood, which is why the captain knew it wouldn't sink, officials said.
"The captain here has quite a bit of experience," Elias said. "He knew what he was doing."
The captain's tow eventually arrived, and he made it to safety.
Editor's note: The original story stated that the crew included high school girls. San Francisco Fire Department officials later clarified that the rescued persons were all adults.