Shrimp boat Second Chance ran aground along the shore of Port Aransas Beach, Texas, about three weeks ago. The Coast Guard sent out a helicopter around 3 a.m. the morning of the incident to rescue the three crew members and two dogs. According to reports, the vessel was experiencing engine problems, leading to it running aground. General Land Office officials have closely monitored the vessel to ensure there have been no fuel leaks.
The Coast Guard Sector Corpus Christi has confirmed with sources that there is now a plan in place for the boat. The boat’s owner has hired a salvage company to assist in dislodging the Second Chance. However, the authorities haven’t disclosed the name yet. 3News spoke with Nueces County Coastal Parks director Scott Cross, who has a good view from his office of the progress of getting her out and floating again.
“Looking at it today, it’s still anchored off the bow, but it's shifted to the north because the wind’s blowing southeast and it’s bobbing up and down, so I’m like, ‘Well, what’s holding you up from gunning it and going, you know? Get that bubba ship boat going again,’” Cross told them.
Felix Fuentes and Capt. Phillip Lara, the vessel's co-owners, created a GoFundMe to support the rescue efforts further. They state on the page, “We have made progress trying to save her ourselves by running an anchor line way past the third sandbar and attaching the line to an onboard winch.” However, the costs to get her back on the water are much greater than expected. They shared that a salvage company quoted 25 to 35 thousand to pull her off the sandbar, but they didn’t have the funds to support these efforts without help.
Fuentes wrote on the page, “Captain Phillip has dedicated his entire life to her, and all of his resources have been poured into the boat.” He also shared the backstory of how they went in on buying the Second Chance together and the years it took them to restore the vessel.
Video courtesy of Yellow Rose Drones on YouTube.
Port Aransas is a town on Mustang Island, Texas, known for its rich fishing history. Due to the vessel’s location in front of an RV park, the boat has gained much attention from people visiting the area on vacation. 3News shared that until the salvage crew can get the Second Chance floating again, people can continue taking photos of the unusual sight.
