SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Authorities have made a second helicopter rescue during a California-to-Hawaii rowing race in a 24-hour period.
The U.S. Coast Guard reported Sunday that a solo rower was hoisted from his boat to a helicopter at about 2 a.m. PDT after capsizing several times in rough seas about 50 miles west of Morro Bay, California. A day earlier, the Coast Guard rescued a crew of four rowers about 75 miles west of San Luis Obispo, California after taking on water.
The rowers are competing in the inaugural Great Pacific Race from Monterey, California to Honolulu, a distance of 2,400 miles.
Organizers say just seven of the 13 entrants remain in the race, including a single solo rower. The rest of the crews are either in pairs or manned by four people.
