LONGBOAT KEY, Fla. — The Coast Guard saved a man clinging to a cooler in the ocean Thursday off of Longboat Key.
According to the United States Coast Guard, the captain of the fishing boat reported just before 1 p.m. Monday that he and a crew member were disabled about 20 miles off John’s Pass.
A rescue boat crew and helicopter crew were deployed, and both the captain and crew member were brought back to Air Station Clearwater. The fishing boat was left adrift.
Then, around 3 a.m. Wednesday, the captain went back to the boat to make repairs. Watchstanders contacted him around noon, and he reported the rudder became disabled during transit back to port.
The Coast Guard says winds were around 30 mph at the time and waves about 6-8 feet high, so he was instructed to put on a life jacket and stay with the boat. Watchstanders lost contact with him at 6:45 p.m.
He was ultimately found clinging to a cooler and wearing a life jacket around 1:30 p.m. Thursday. A Coast Guard Air Station Miami helicopter crew took him to Tampa General Hospital for treatment.
“This man survived in a nightmare scenario for even the most experienced mariner," said Lt. Cmdr. Dana Grady, Sector St. Petersburg's command center chief. "To understand the severity of the hurricane conditions, we estimate he experienced approximately 75-90 mph winds, 20-25 foot seas, for an extended period of time to include overnight. He survived because of a life jacket, his emergency position indicating locator beacon, and a cooler."