The Coast Guard successfully rescued four people after their 24-foot boat capsized about 26 miles west of Clearwater. This rescue operation involved multiple agencies and lasted nearly 10 hours.

The rescue effort began late Monday evening when a family member reported the boat overdue to the Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg at 9:08 p.m. The search intensified overnight, with various Coast Guard resources being deployed to find the missing boaters in the Gulf of Mexico.

On Tuesday morning at 7:15 a.m., an Air Station Miami HC-144 Ocean Sentry crew spotted the four boaters clinging to their overturned vessel. They were found in moderate conditions, facing 2 to 3-foot waves and winds of 5 to 10 knots. To aid in their rescue, the aircraft dropped a life raft and a Mk-58 marine location marker to direct surface teams to the boat's location.

A boat crew from Coast Guard Station Sand Key arrived at the scene and safely brought all four boaters back to shore. The survivors were reported in stable condition and were handed over to emergency medical services personnel waiting at Station Sand Key.

“Thanks to the efforts of various Coast Guard crews and partner agencies, we were able to safely bring the missing boaters back and reunite them with their families,” said Ensign Gaige Garrett, Operational Unit Controller at Sector St. Petersburg Command Center.

Garrett highlighted the importance of having proper safety equipment for recreational boaters. He urged everyone heading out on the water to ensure they have essential safety gear, such as Coast Guard-approved life jackets, a VHF radio, signaling devices, and an emergency position locator beacon or personal locator beacon.

The Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg constantly monitors VHF Channel 16 and works closely with partner agencies to deploy Coast Guard resources immediately for urgent search and rescue situations.