ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.— The Coast Guard and a good Samaritan rescued three people from the water between Egmont Key and Passage Key, Florida, Saturday.
At 8:40 p.m. watchstanders from Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg received a 911 transfer call from Manatee County Sheriff’s Office of a woman stating three people from her boat were in the water and missing.
She reported her husband and daughter had gone in the water after the daughter’s boyfriend had jumped in and gone missing.
A 29-foot Response Boat-Small II from Coast Guard Station Cortez, Florida, was diverted, commenced a search and at 9:23 p.m. found the husband and daughter in the water clinging to one life jacket. The boatcrew pulled both people out of the water safely. They reported not seeing the other person in the water.
At 10:02 p.m. the crew members from the research vessel, Weather Bird, located the missing man, alive.
All three people were taken back to their vessel with no reported injuries.
“So much of this situation could have been prevented,” said Lt. Jessica Vogel, the command duty officer at the sector. “Especially when it is dark and with unknown currents, always, always, always, call rescue personnel at the first sign of distress. We have the tools, and the training to deal with emergencies on the water."
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