The United States Coast Guard rescued two men who found themselves stranded at sea during Tropical Storm Debby.
The men were sailing from Key West to Tarpon Springs. However, on Saturday (August 3), they missed their scheduled check-in, and their friends contacted the St. Petersburg Coast Guard station to report them missing.
The Coast Guard dispatched an HC-144 Ocean Sentry airplane, which located the men on Sunday morning. The Coast Guard said that the two men were about 73 miles off the coast of Boca Grande, Florida, when their 34-foot boat lost its sail, leaving them stuck in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico.
An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter rescue crew hoisted the two men off their disabled boat and transported them to Air Station Clearwater. They were not injured.
“Some of the most important factors in any search and rescue case is accurate information and safety equipment,” said Lt. Cmdr. Christopher Hooper, a search and rescue mission coordinator at Coast Guard District Seven. “We received an updated satellite position from the boaters’ friend, which led to them being successfully located. This rescue was a collaborative effort between District Seven and Sector St. Petersburg while Tropical Storm Debby crossed the region.”
The Coast Guard shared a video of the dramatic rescue on Instagram.
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