Two men were rescued off the coast of San Diego after they called 911 upon noticing their newly purchased 25-foot boat was taking on water, reported a Coast Guard spokesperson.

 

A Coast Guard boat and helicopter, along with a Navy vessel and San Diego lifeguards, responded to the emergency call, which came in around midnight, explained Coast Guard spokesperson Adam Stanton.

 

The two Mexican citizens, aged 58 and 64, were heading south when their boat began to flood. At one point, the men fired a flare, aiding rescuers in locating their position.

 

Stanton noted that the men had purchased the boat in northern San Diego County and intended to take it to Ensenada.

 

Coast Guard crew members were unable to "secure the source of the flooding," so it was deemed unsafe to tow the boat, according to a Coast Guard press release. The two men, who were uninjured, were rescued and the boat was left adrift. Mariners in the area were notified of the navigational hazard.

 

The men had visas and were taken to Shelter Island. After questioning by Border Patrol agents, they were cleared and released to their relatives.