Five overdue mariners on a leisure boat in Florida have been rescued after their distress flares were seen by a US Coast Guard aircrew.
The flares, fired by those on the overdue 22-foot boat, were spotted 43 miles southwest of Steinhatchee River, near Tampa. They were seen by a Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew. A good Samaritan was able to assist.
A similar rescue of an overdue mariner, Kaleb Wardy, who was on board a 30-foot construction barge, was also carried out by the Jayhawk helicopter crew, along with an Army Reserve helicopter personnel.
All the overdue mariners were brought back to shore with no medical concerns.
Capt. Matthew Thompson, commanding officer, Sector St. Petersburg, says, “We are always grateful when we are able to locate missing mariners quickly and find them unharmed. We recommend all mariners to keep a working marine radio, and emergency signalling devices onboard their vessels. They’re one of the most reliable and useful pieces of equipment you can have on your boat.”
The image is courtesy of USCG Clearwater’s Facebook page.
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