Video captured the moments when two boaters were rescued early Wednesday morning after their sailboat’s mast broke on the rough waters off Florida’s Gulf Coast, the U.S. Coast Guard said.
Just before 3:25 a.m., a USCG Southeast District watchstander received a distress notification regarding a 30-foot sailing vessel that became disabled approximately 40 miles west of Tarpon Springs, prompting the USCG to launch a helicopter rescue crew to the signal’s location. Tarpon Springs is approximately 30 miles northwest of Tampa.
Shortly before 4:50 a.m., the aircrew arrived at the scene and found the boaters and their de-masted sailboat in “4 to 6-foot seas and 20 knot [23 mph] winds,” the USCG said.
In a video from the rescue mission shared on X, the aircrew is seen deploying a rescue swimmer, who swiftly swims to the disabled vessel and helps each boater to the helicopter’s lift.
The USGC said both boaters were in stable condition and safely taken to Air Station Clearwater.
Petty Officer 2nd Class Jason Ayber, a search and rescue controller at the USCG’s Southeast District command center, said the boaters’ distress alert was “vital” because it gave them critical information to rapidly deploy a rescue crew to the boaters.
“Having reliable communication equipment and necessary safety equipment can make all the difference when seconds matter on the water,” he said.
The USCG said the boat’s owner is coordinating with commercial salvage to recover the vessel and the cause of the de-masting is unknown.
