The U.S. Coast Guard has just released video from a daring rescue, involving four people after their 19-foot boat capsized six miles northwest of Anclote Key.
Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg received a call on VHF-FM radio channel 16 at 6:27 p.m. on June 10, 2017 from a mariner reporting he was taking on water with three other people aboard his boat and was approximately 10 miles from Anclote Key.
An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Air Station Clearwater was launched to the scene. In the video, you can see dark skies and fierce, choppy waters.
Moments later, watchstanders received another call from the man reporting his boat had capsized and all four people were on top of the hull.
The Jayhawk helicopter crew arrived on scene and lowered their rescue swimmer to the capsized vessel.
The U.S. Coast Guard rescued the boaters one by one, helping them get to safety aboard a A 45-foot Response Boat.
U.S. Coast Guard Spokesperson Michael De Nyse was on scene for the rescue. He told ABC Action News that the boaters did everything they could have done correctly for a successful retrieve.
"We want all mariners to do what they did," De Nyse said. "They had a VHF radio so they were able to contact us and they all had their life jackets on," he said.
De Nyse said the that all four of the people rescued stayed with the boat which made it easier for rescuers identify them. He says looking for people in the water is much more difficult. Their decision to stay with the boat was one of the major keys for their safety, he said.
The U.S. Coast Guard transferred all four people to the response boat and transported them back to the station with no medical concerns.
According to the 2016 Recreational Boating Statistics annual report, Florida leads the nation in boating accidents.
In 2016 there were 684 boating accidents, and increase from the 671 accidents in 2015.
