Two fishermen were dramatically rescued after their small boat capsized while rockfishing approximately six miles off Moss Landing, California. The men spent about 40 minutes in dangerously cold water temperatures in the low 50s before a nearby Monterey Bay Whale Watch vessel responded to their distress call. The whale-watching crew quickly located the pair bobbing in the water and pulled both men to safety in what was the company’s first such rescue.

ABC News footage captured the tense moments as crew members lowered lines and assisted the fishermen, who were wearing life vests, aboard the vessel. Quick thinking and fast action by the civilian crew, combined with the Coast Guard’s response, prevented a potential tragedy amid challenging wind and wave conditions. Both fishermen were safely brought ashore following the ordeal.