CLEARWATER, Fla.— The Coast Guard rescued four boaters Saturday after their boat took on water and capsized 12 miles west of Johns Pass.
Rescued were: Joseph Fernandez, 55; Philip Fernandez, 42; Erick Quesada, 40; and Samantha Fernandez, 8. All the boaters are from Clearwater.
Watch standers from Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg received a 911 transfer from a cell phone caller at 5:18 a.m. A man stated his 29-foot boat was taking on water and in need of emergency assistance. The watch stander told the caller to don their life jackets and then communications were lost.
A Coast Guard boat crew from Station St. Petersburg, and an aircrew aboard an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter from Air Station Clearwater, responded. The helicopter arrived on scene at 6:20 a.m. and hoisted all four boaters clinging to their capsized hull. All four were wearing their lifejackets. They were flown to Air Station Clearwater to be evaluated by EMS.
“This is a testament to the importance of having working radio communications and life jackets aboard your vessel,” said Chief Warrant Officer Robert Swanson, command duty officer at Sector St. Petersburg. “They were prepared for the worst case scenario. Due to their preparation, we were immediately notified of the distress, we pinpointed their location and rescued them in about an hour from the initial call.”
No injuries or medical concerns to report. The vessel remains capsized and anchored at the scene of distress.
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