2 adults, 2 kids missing off California coast
By Associated Press
Feb 25, 2013 10:49 AM CST

The U.S. Coast Guard was searching Monday for four family members, including two young children, who sent distress calls saying their sailboat was sinking near San Francisco and they were trying to make a life raft out of a cooler and a life preserver.

The group was about 65 miles (104 kilometers) off shore Sunday afternoon when the first distress call came in, Coast Guard Lt. Heather Lampert said.

The boat did not have a working GPS system. The boaters said their sailboat was taking on water and their electronics were failing.

The Coast Guard later lost radio contact. It has received no missing persons' reports.

The National Weather Service had issued an advisory throughout the weekend warning boaters of strong winds and rough seas around the San Francisco Bay Area.

Lampert said Coast Guard crews searched through the night. A California Air National Guard helicopter was assisting.