Rescued boaters refuse sobriety tests

Six people were rescued from a boat that submerged near Oakland Middle Harbor Sunday afternoon, a U.S. Coast Guard spokeswoman said.

At about 4 p.m., a Coast Guard crew from San Francisco responded to a call from a 26-foot Pontoon boat taking on water, Coast Guard spokeswoman Loumania Stewart said.

As crews were en route to the scene, a Coast Guard official instructed the person operating the boat to have everyone wear lifejackets, Stewart said.

About 50 minutes later, the Coast Guard launched a rescue boat crew that located all six people and the boat mostly submerged in the water, she said.

All six people were safely removed from the water and were not injured, according to Stewart. They were taken to Jack London Square for further medical evaluation, she said.

Oakland police interviewed the six people, who all refused to take sobriety tests, and took one into custody, Stewart said. The Oakland Fire Department also responded to the scene. JameyPadojino1109p09/14/14 CONTACT: U.S. Coast Guard (510) 772-8865 Copyright