Party boat hits shoal near Alcatraz Island

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SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 14 (UPI) -- A party boat with 22 passengers began taking on water after hitting rocks near Alcatraz Island off San Francisco, U.S. Coast Guard officials said.

The 40-foot Neptune was rented for a bachelor party Friday night when the vessel hit the shoal about 20 minutes into the trip and a foot-long hole was ripped in the hull, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

The passengers were transferred to a Coast Guard vessel. No one was injured.

The 42-passenger 1958 boat was towed to Sausalito, the newspaper said.

Neptune co-owners Melissa and Kevin McDowell and their adult daughter were all on the boat when the mishap occurred about 8:45 p.m. local time. Melissa McDowell said they were surprised because the boat has a seasoned captain.

"It was very dark and the buoy isn't lit, so you have to rely on radar and the bell," McDowell said. "But we have an experienced captain. He's been on the water for over 10 years, maybe close to 20 years. And that was routine for us.

"Trust me, this will never happen to us again."