ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.— The Coast Guard is searching for a father and his three teenagers aboard a missing 29-foot sailboat near Englewood, Florida, Tuesday.
The man, his 13 and 15-year-old teenage sons, and 17-year-old teenage daughter were last heard from Sunday morning.
On Tuesday, watchstanders from Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg received a report of a concerned family member of the missing family stating the man and his three teenagers left Sarasota at 7 a.m. Sunday en-route to Fort Myers to repair the sailboat. Later Sunday, at approximately 3 p.m., the man called his brother and stated the sailboat was in 6-foot seas and he was attempting to survive with his children offshore of Englewood.
An HC-130 Hercules fixed-wing rescue aircrew from Air Station Clearwater, a 45-foot Response Boat-Medium boatcrew from Station Fort Myers Beach, a 29-foot Response Boat Small-II boatcrew from Station Cortez, Florida, and the Coast Guard Cutter Alligator were launched to commence the search.
Station Fort Myers Beach activated the Maritime Emergency Response Team which includes numerous state and local maritime emergency responders.
The Coast Guard asks mariners to keep a sharp lookout and contact Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg at (727) 824-7506 with any information regarding the whereabouts of the missing family.