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A Boston Magazine investigation examines the Coast Guard' vanishing ability to rescue mariners. The free-lance author "explores what happened when three fishermen, trapped inside their overturned boat, drowned while waiting for the Coast Guard to rescue them." The story details several other marine tragedies. The investigation reveals that the agency's staff has become "overworked and underqualified," as its budget has been cut and its mission has "expanded exponentially in such areas as drug enforcement, refugee interception and pollution control." The story's "sobering lesson" is: "Don't expect the Coast Guard to save you. The agency has neither the legal obligation nor the top notch ability to rescue every mariner who calls for help."