Santa Barbara County firefighters launched a rescue effort Saturday afternoon after receiving a report that three kayakers were unable to make their way back to shore off Goleta. 

At 2:50 p.m., personnel from the Santa Barbara County Fire Department were dispatched to the incident.

Three people, in two blue kayaks, told dispatchers that they were stuck by the oil rigs and couldn’t see the shoreline because of the fog in the area, according to emergency dispatch reports. 

The kayakers had left on their voyage from Coal Oil Point.

The kayakers were still in their vessels and had not fallen into the water, according to emergency dispatch reports.

At least one aircraft was sent to try to help crews locate the kayakers. 

Firefighters were en route to tow the kayakers to safety, but they had climbed aboard a 42-foot sailboat in the area.

The blue kayaks were tethered to the sailboat, which was headed to the Santa Barbara Harbor to drop off the kayakers, according to dispatch reports.