TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — A child and seven adults were rescued by aircrew with the Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater on Saturday.
Eight people aboard were found on a capsized 28-foot boat nearly 36 miles west of Boca Grande.
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The Coast Guard received a distress call from the boaters, who reported that their vessel was sinking. The boaters were spotted thanks to their signal and strobe lights after activating their Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon.
All passengers were found wearing their life jackets while holding onto a cooler. Each person was hoisted by the aircrew and taken to emergency medical services.
Thankfully, no injuries were reported.
U.S. Coast Guard
“The boaters in distress carried close to every piece of lifesaving equipment we encourage the public to carry onboard their vessel,” Petty Officer 3rd Class Santiago Gomez, Coast Guard Public Affairs Detachment Tampa Bay said . “Life jackets, an EPIRB, a PLB, visual signaling devices and a marine grade radio with VHF-FM channel 16 improve our Coast Guard crews’ abilities to locate mariners in distress and increase the chances of a
