Coast Guard rescues man off Longboat Key after Hurricane Milton

LONGBOAT KEY, Fla. (WWSB) – A Coast Guard helicopter crew from Air Station Miami rescued a man Thursday about 30 miles off Longboat Key in the wake of Hurricane Milton.

The flight crew took the man to Tampa General Hospital for further treatment after he was found hanging from a cooler wearing a life jacket around 1:30 p.m

Aircraft and helicopter crews from Air Station Clearwater are currently stationed at the Aviation Training Center Mobile for storm mitigation, and Air Station Miami took off around 5:30 a.m. to search for the missing captain.

On Monday, the captain of the fishing vessel Captain Dave reported to St. Petersburg Coast Guard watchmen at approximately 12:40 p.m. that he and a crew member were disabled about 20 miles off John’s Pass.

A rescue boat crew from Coast Guard Station Sand Key and a rescue helicopter crew from Air Station Clearwater arrived on scene. The flight crew picked up the two people and returned them to Air Station Clearwater in good condition. The ship was left adrift and salvage arrangements had to be made.

On Wednesday, around noon, the fishing vessel’s owner, Captain Dave, reported to St. Petersburg Coast Guard watchmen that the captain had gone back to the boat around 3 a.m. to make repairs and had not yet checked in. The watchmen were able to report radio contact with the captain, who reported that the rudder had become contaminated with a line during the return trip to port and was disabled.

The weather at the time was 6 to 8 foot seas and winds of about 30 miles per hour, but quickly deteriorated as the storm approached. The captain was instructed by the Coast Guard to put on a life jacket and obey the ship’s distress signal indicating the position. The security guards lost communication around 6:45 p.m. on Wednesday evening.

“This man survived in a nightmare scenario that was a nightmare for even the most experienced sailor,” said Lt. Cmdr. Dana Grady, head of the St. Petersburg Sector Command Center. “To understand the severity of the hurricane conditions, we estimate that it experienced winds of approximately 75-90 mph and seas of 20-25 feet for an extended period of time, including overnight. He survived because he was wearing a life jacket, a distress position beacon and a cooler.”

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