22 rescued unharmed as wine tasting boat starts sinking during cruise of San Francisco Bay

SAN FRANCISCO – Officials say a wine tasting cruise boat carrying nearly two dozen people started sinking near Alcatraz island in San Francisco Bay, but everyone aboard was safely rescued.

U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Pamela Boehland says the 40-foot boat the Neptune hit an unknown object in the bay Friday night, leaving it with a 1-foot gash.

Boehland says the boat began taking on water and sinking, but a Coast Guard boat happened to be nearby, taking on board most of the Neptune’s 22 passengers and crew and summoning another Coast Guard boat that picked up the rest.

The boats took the passengers to San Francisco’s Pier 39. There were no reports of injuries.

The Neptune’s website, which advertises it as a “floating wine tasting room,” says it holds 42 passengers for wine tasting. It was still sinking as rescue boats left.