Archive image: A Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew arrives at Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater, Florida, July 13, 2021.
The aircrew conducted a search and rescue training flight around the Clearwater-St. Petersburg area.
U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Lisa Ferdinando
CLEARWATER, Fla. — A Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter crew and a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission marine crew rescue four boaters after their boat started taking on water about 1 nautical mile off Hernando Beach. Wednesday (August 16, 2023) at approximately 9:15 p.m.
The people were reported in good condition.
911 dispatch alerted Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg watchstanders of multiple flares being sighted and a boat with four people aboard taking on water.
The MH-60T Jayhawk Medium-Range Recovery Helicopter aircrew located the distressed vessel and deployed the rescue swimmer. The RS hoisted two of the boaters and transported them to Air Station Clearwater to transfer them to emergency medical services (EMS) personnel awaiting at platform. FWC officers rescued the remaining two people and brought them to shore.
The vessel was salvaged, Thursday, and is not a hazard to navigation.
“The proper use of the flares is what helped save these people,” said Chief Petty Officer Aaron Bolton, a command duty officer at U.S. Coast Guard Sector St.Petersburg. “It’s always important to have more than one communication device while underway because cell phone coverage isn’t reliable offshore, and to make sure your flares aren’t expired.”
For more information, follow U.S. Coast Guard on Facebook and Twitter.
–USCG–
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