A boat full of summer campers setting sail in the Inner Harbor started sinking, prompting first responders to help rescue the passengers.
A Baltimore City Fire Department vessel was seen Monday afternoon approaching a mostly submerged sailboat in the middle of the harbor in front of the Domino Sugar Factory. The Downtown Sailing Center confirmed the boat was part of its summer camp, and everyone onboard made it back to shore safely.
It’s unclear how many people were rescued, but the boat — a J22 sailboat — fits between four and six people.
“We are grateful for the swift response of our staff,” the Downtown Sailing Center said in a Tuesday statement. “We also thank the many stakeholders dedicated to ensuring the waters of Baltimore Harbor are safe for recreation.”
The summer camp always sends out safety boats and staff who are trained to get people back to shore when boats capsize, the statement added.
Baltimore Police said it responded to a call of a sinking boat at 3:20 p.m. Monday. The boat was towed, according to a police spokesperson. The Downtown Sailing Center said the boat is back at the sailing school, which is located next to the Baltimore Museum of Science and Industry.
Wind was blowing at 5 mph at Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport just before 3 p.m. Monday afternoon.
The Downtown Sailing Center holds summer camps for children between the ages of 8 and 16, according to its website. The camp is open to children with any level of sailing experience, and the sailing school puts one staff member on a boat for every four campers.
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