5 of 6 missing sailors rescued from Gulf

A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter located five members of a six-person crew of a Texas A&M University sailboat on Sunday that went missing in the Gulf of Mexico, the Coast Guard said.

The five people were hoisted from the gulf waters into the helicopter and immediately flown to shore for medical treatment, according to Petty Officer Renae Aiello. Their conditions were not immediately known, she said.

An active search is still going on for the sixth crew member, she said.

A sailboat matching the description of the crew's 38-foot boat was found overturned about 5:15 p.m. Saturday, authorities said.

Communication with the boat was lost about midnight Friday, and the boat missed its 8 a.m. radio check, the Coast Guard reported.

According to the university, all the mariners were experienced sailors, and two of them were safety instructors.

The Coast Guard spokeswoman could not say where the rescue occurred, but the search was focused on an area about 10 miles south of Matagorda, Texas.

The sailboat, named Cynthia Woods, was part of the Veracruz Regatta race and was scheduled to sail from Galveston, Texas, to Veracruz, Mexico. About two dozen boats entered this year's race.

source: http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/06/07/missing.sailors/?iref=mpstoryview