They pumped out the vessel using a portable pump carried on their 41-foot utility boat. It can move 200 gallons of water per minute. The Coast Guard accompanied the Andrea Leigh to the Shalimar Yacht Basin across Choctawatchee Bay where it was hauled out. The more difficult calls are what DiAmco calls the mom and pop tows. These calls happen when a mechanical problem disables a vessel, but it is not in danger of grounding, and there is no medical emergency.
People get mad.
They may not realize that we have four other boats in distress, and we have to prioritize the calls. DiAmco said that even in a mom and pop situation, the Coast Guard may immediately send assistance. If, for example, one of the passengers is elderly or an infant. In addition to age, the Coast Guard considers tide and current conditions, present and forecasted weather, visibility, position accuracy, reliability of communication equipment and degree of apprehension of the people on board. After analysis of these factors, if the Coast Guard classifies the call non-distress, it still offers help.