ENSENADA : 4 Fishermen Leap From Burning Boat

Four fishermen escaped from their burning boat into calm seas off the coast of Ensenada, Mexico, Tuesday evening, and were later rescued by a San Diego Coast Guard helicopter crew, a Coast Guard spokesman said.

The crew, all of Ensenada, suffered from mild hypothermia after floating in a 10-foot dinghy for about an hour before a flashlight signal led the the helicopter crew to their position. A Coast Guard swimmer helped each man swim from the dinghy to the helicopter lift basket.

The boat engineer had radioed for help at 5:52 p.m. when an electrical fire spread through their 40-foot boat, Obdulia, that was 4 miles offshore, Lt. Richard Williams said. The boat was destroyed by the blaze, Williams said.