"The Red Cloud" out of Galveston, Texas en route to San Pedro to pick up a load of coffee beans, was heavily damaged in high seas and had to be rescued 200 miles south of Galveston today. No further information is available.

HOUSTON — The Coast Guard has rescued three people -- and one dog -- from a rough seas-battered sailboat in the Gulf of Mexico.

Coast Guard personnel in a helicopter yesterday located the 42-foot boat about 200 miles off Texas.

Coast Guard video shows the boat's occupants being hauled up to the helicopter -- via a basket -- during high winds and 25-foot seas.

The two men, one woman and the dog were safely transported to Houston to be checked out. The woman suffered a minor leg injury.

Authorities say a ham radio operator managed to pick up the distress signal and contact the Coast Guard.

The owner of the sailboat, Joe Butcher of El Lago, says he hopes to salvage the vessel and its load of coffee that they'd picked up in Belize.

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