Coast Guard, good Samaritan rescue 5 after boat capsizes

Video by Petty Officer 2nd Class Ashley Johnson, U.S. Coast Guard District 7

An Air Station Clearwater HC-130 Hercules air crew spots five boaters in the water clinging to debris after their boat capsized 22 miles west of Anclote Island, Florida, June 28, 2018. A Station Sand Key 45-foot Response Boat-Medium boatcrew transported the boaters to shore with no reported injuries.

SAND KEY, Fla. — The Coast Guard and a good Samaritan rescued five boaters Thursday after their 30-foot boat capsized 22 miles west of Anclote Key.

Rescued were Carollwood natives Jason Holmes, 42, and David C. O'Neal; Todd Mack, 53, from Hudson, Michael Redding, 68, from Temple Terrace, and Jeff Kennedy, 60.

At 10:05 a.m., an Air Station Clearwater HC-130 Hercules airplane crew on a training flight spotted five boaters clinging to debris and immediately deployed a life raft. Sector St. Petersburg watchstanders issued an Urgent Marine Information Broadcast via VHF-FM radio channel 16. A good Samaritan aboard the "Two Georges", a charter fishing boat from Tarpon Springs, responded to the broadcast and rescued the boaters from the water.

Mack, one of the rescued boaters, said when the boat started sinking the men began throwing life jackets, coolers and safety gear in the water. "Most importantly we had an EPIRB."

Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons send boaters' positions to rescue personnel once activated in an emergency. 

Coast Guard District Seven watchstanders received the EPIRB signal, but the Hercules crew had already spotted the five boaters in the water.

"It was a wonderful sight," said Mack, who saw the Hercules crew about 15 minutes after entering the water.

A Coast Guard Station Sand Key 45-foot Response Boat-Medium crew was launched. The boatcrew transferred the boaters from the Two Georges to the RB-M and transported them back to the station with no reported injuries.

"Readily accessible safety equipment is so important," said Petty Officer 3rd Class Matthew Whitaker, a Station Sand Key crewmember who transported the boaters to shore. "We recommend all boaters have a registered EPIRB, and know where all their equipment is in case of an emergency."

HC-130 Hercules, ©U.S. Coast Guard

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Coast Guard rescues 9 from boat taking on water

MH-60 Jayhawk, ©USCG

NEW ORLEANS – The Coast Guard rescued nine people from a sinking boat approximately 115 nautical miles south of Destin, Florida, Saturday.

Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Mobile received a call at about 9 p.m. Friday that a 61-foot sportfisher boat was taking on water approximately 115 nautical miles south of Destin.

Involved in the rescue were:

• HC-144 Ocean Sentry fixed-wing aircrew from Coast Guard Aviation Training Center Mobile was first on the scene and delivered a dewatering pump and a radio to the vessel.
• MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter aircrew from Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater, Florida, who delivered a dewatering pump and radio to the vessel.
• MH-65 Dolphin helicopter aircrew from Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans.
• Coast Guard Cutter Kingfisher, who transferred the passengers of the vessel onto the cutter and towed the boat to approximately 40 nautical miles from Destin. SeaTow then took over the tow at that point.
• Good Samaritans aboard the vessel Brace Yourself.
• SeaTow, who took over the tow of the vessel at approximately 40 nautical miles from Destin.

MH-65 Dolphin, ©USCG

Passengers of the flooding vessel were able to keep up with the flooding of the boat by manually bailing the water and using the dewatering pumps that were delivered.

All the people aboard the boat were wearing lifejackets, had two life rafts prepared, a satellite phone, an emergency position indicating radio beacon, and various sound and signaling devices. The Coast Guard was able to assist the distressed mariners due to the EPIRB being activated and the satellite phone being used to contact someone on land, and locate them due to the sound and signaling devices.

H144 Ocean Sentry, ©USCG

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