NBC

13 Rescued After 106-Foot Vessel Sinks Off Lauderdale-by-the-Sea

Crews responded to a 106-foot vessel that was sinking 13 nautical miles offshore in Broward County, Florida, Monday evening.

Members of marine assistance Sea Tow said the vessel, Serena III, was taking on water off Lauderdale-by-the-Sea. At one point, its bow was 40 feet in the air.

Thirteen passengers were safely taken to the United States Coast Guard station in Miami Beach, according to the Guard. No injuries or medical concerns were reported.

USCG officials said the vessel began taking on water, possibly because it ran aground, but that's still under investigation.

Sea Tow sent the following message to its Facebook viewers about the incident:

"A sad day for a 2012 39 meter custom motoryacht Serena III, all souls were saved in the only casualty was the vessel. Our crews gave it a valiant effort to arrive on the scene with multiple vessels and pumps but she was too far gone. We were able to recover a jet ski, inflatable tender and liferaft."

Sea Tow said the vessel is unrecoverable, 1,200-feet deep in the water. Serena III is only three years old and was built in Brazil.

Contact Us