Watchstanders with the Eleventh Coast Guard District command center in Alameda received multiple alerts belonging to the fishing boat Blue Dragon around 12:20 a.m and arranged for a Coast Guard Air Station Sacramento C-27 Spartan aircrew to fly over the area about 350 miles (563 kilometers) west of Monterey
Coast Guard watchstanders also issued a request for assistance and the vessel Nord Rubicon crew responded that they were willing to divert and assist the distressed mariners.
The C-27 aircrew reached the area about three hours after the Coast Guard received the distress alerts and reported seeing the Blue Dragon on fire and survivors aboard a life raft nearby. The survivors signaled the aircraft using a flashlight, and in response, the aircrew deployed a flare along with a self-locating datum marker buoy.
The Nord Rubicon crew arrived on the scene at 9:30 a.m. and rescued the seven crewmembers from the life raft. No injuries were reported.
The Nord Rubicon was en route to San Francisco with all Blue Dragon crew members, officials said.