MIAMI BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - A boat captain who rescued some of the people from a sinking yacht over the weekend is speaking out about his heroic efforts.
Captain Yasmany Linares was carrying people celebrating a birthday party when he noticed a yacht ahead of him having a problem.
“I see that the boat was like looking weird,” he said.
He said he didn’t think twice before driving his boat near the one in trouble.
“It was right in front of me. This is what you do,” said Linares.
What was supposed to be a dazzling day for influencers creating content on a yacht turned into a rescue operation from a sinking vessel, Saturday afternoon off Monument Island.
Linares was among the first to arrive to help followed by the U.S. Coast Guard and other first responders arrived.
He pulled dozens of people off the sinking ship and into his boat before the situation worsened.
“Let’s make it quick before the boat flip or something like that,” he said.
By the end of the ordeal, the 63-foot Lamborghini yacht was nose up with its tail underwater. 32 people were rescued, according to the Coast Guard.
Nobody was hurt.
“It was a little crazy, the situation,” said Linares.
“They were pretty quick and fast,” the owner of the boat, congratulating her captain for his actions.
The captain said he did what any good captain should do.
“Guys, in the water, it’s you and the next boat, that’s your best friend, that’s your brother, that’s your neighbor. So it’s any situation, always help.”
The yacht has been moved to dry land as crews work to determine what caused the vessel to start sinking.
The Coast Guard said there were 32 people aboard the yacht, which had a maximum capacity of 12. The boat captain said that, although there were more people on board than there should’ve been, he doesn’t believe that was what caused the problem.
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