The 34-foot fishing vessel OREGON 350 capsized near Cape Mendocino on Thursday afternoon. Two crewmen, father and son, were rescued from the vessel by the Coast Guard. The vessel reportedly was struck by a large wave, causing the vessel to lose its electronics. After the Coast Guard evacuated one crewman by helicopter, the captain thought he could navigate the vessel to shore using his hand held car GPS system, but the vessel lost stability and capsized. A second Coast Guard helicopter was dispatched to the vessel and rescued the Captain. The Coast Guard recommends that all mariners pay close attention to weather and sea conditions off the Coast of California as conditions can change with little notice. The Coast Guard also recommends that mariners equip their vessels with backup communications and navigation equipment for use in emergencies. Remarkably sophisticated backup navigation and communication equipment can now be purchased very affordably. Every vessel should have back up electronic equipment.
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