Two people were rescued over the weekend after their sailboat became disabled off the coast of Key West, leaving them adrift for two days, the United States Coast Guard said.
Around 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Coast Guard Sector Key West watchstanders received a 911 relay from a mariner in distress reporting that their 30-foot sailing vessel, Oria, was “disabled and had been adrift for two days,” the USCG said. According to the report, the boaters were traveling from Cape Coral to Key Largo when their vessel became disabled.
The sailboat was anchored about 12 miles north of Key West due to inclement weather, and fortunately, no injuries were reported, the USCG said.
A safety marine information broadcast was issued to warn all mariners to transit the area with caution due to the adrift vessel. Chief Warrant Officer Alex Dominicci, the command duty officer of Coast Guard Sector Key West, said in a statement that the rescue “highlights the importance of having multiple means of communication beyond a cell phone on board your vessel, such as a VHF marine radio or an emergency position indicating radio beacon in case of an emergency.”
“We are incredibly grateful we were able to get in contact with these individuals to get them back to their families,” he said.
The USCG did not say how the sailboat got disabled but advised boaters to visit its Boating Safety Division’s website to learn how to stay safe out on the water.
