RedactedNarrative: On 9/2/17, I, Officers were on water patrol in Federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico south of Pensacola Beach. 
  
  At approximately 11:30 a.m. I overheard on marine VHF the report of a capsized vessel with three persons in the water being reported to USCG  Sector Mobile approximately 25 miles offshore from the Pensacola Pass. I made contact with USCG and notified them that we would go to the reported location/coordinate. 
  
  When we arrived on scene the Alabama charter vessel "Emerald Spirit" was alongside the capsized vessel and had the three subjects onboard with no injuries. We documented the persons onboard and took pictures of the vessel. There were no apparent hull failures. The owner contacted a commercial salvage company while we were on scene. Owner decided not to enlist their services The three subjects went back to land on the "Emerald Spirit". We notified USCG of the last known position of the capsized vessel for them to put out a notice to mariners. 
  
  During follow up interviews I spoke with all three subjects that were onboard. At the time of the capsize, they were drift fishing. Only using the outboard motor to maneuver the vessel back the fishing spot. The vessel would drift with the stern into the 2'-3' foot seas. Several times the owner turned the bilge pump on manually and pumped water out of the hull. Owner stated that he did not know how many bilge pumps the boat had or if the float switch worked. He indicated that some of the water from the waves would wash into the back of the vessel onto the deck. Owner stated that the back splash guard, which is a removable plastic piece that goes in front of the motor to prevent water from coming on the deck, was not in place. 
  
  During one of the drifts the motor started running rough and eventually quit running. While trying to get the motor cranked several waves crashed through the splash well putting a large sum of water onto the deck.  Water continued to come in. Within two minutes the vessel was swamped then capsized. Before the vessel capsized Owner used the VHF radio channel 72 and 68 to ask for assistance from other boaters. Owner and the two other subjects entered the water without wearing life jackets and stayed with the vessel until help arrived.
  
  Approximately 40 minutes later crew onboard the charter vessel "Emerald Spirit" saw the capsized vessel. The three subjects safely boarded the "Emerald Spirit" and awaited FWC's arrival.
  
  Without inspecting the vessel  it is not clear if there were any other contributing factors besides the waves coming in through the transom/splash well area that contributed to the vessel capsizing.