Pirate ship sinks

The Treasure Seeker, a 65-foot, diesel-powered replica of a pirate ship commonly used for kid's birthday parties, sank off the Bahamas last week. The ship, a mainstay at the St. Petersburg Pier, was en route to St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Fortunately, no lives were lost, thanks to a rented emergency rescue beacon that the crew had brought along. The five crew members were picked up by a 104-foot dive boat, the SV Juliet, which was departing the Turks and Caicos at the time.

A routine inspection on Feb. 27 revealed water in the Treasure Seeker's bilge. After the captain realized the leak could not be fixed, he activated the rented Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) and the signal was picked up in Miami by the U.S. Coast Guard, which then sent out a notice to mariners. The dive boat heard the call and diverted 45 miles to the sinking boat.

The captain later commented that he had tried to hail help on his VHF radio, but it was no use. He credited the the EPIRB, which he had rented from BoatU.S. with saving his life. The $750 EPIRBs can be rented for as little as $40 a week. For more information, call 1-888-663-7472 or visit BoatUS.