Water rescuers assist 2 caught in sinking boat

11/23/2008

MARBLEHEAD, Ohio Two men whose boat was sinking in Lake Erie s Mosley Channel near Marblehead were unhurt Sunday after rescuers came to their aid, authorities reported.

Joe Poplstein, of Avon Lake, Ohio, was one of the two men aboard the 42-foot cabin cruiser that began taking on water about 9:40 a.m.

One of the men radioed the Coast Guard, which sent a boat crew and a helicopter.

The Sandusky Fire Department was notified by the Coast Guard, and sent its water rescue unit.

When the fire department s crew arrived, the boat had taken on about six inches of water. The water rescue unit used a pump to remove the water.

The men then were able to start the vessel s engine and pilot the craft to Battery Park Marina in Sandusky.