RUSKIN, Fla. — Hillsborough County deputies rescued a man after his boat capsized in the Little Manatee River on Thursday morning.
Around 2 a.m., the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office received a 911 call from a person who said they heard someone yelling from the Little Manatee River in Ruskin.
Deputies later learned that a 46-year-old man was fishing in the river alone when the tide began to move out to the bay. He began to paddle to the shore, which point the current became too strong and pulled his boat into the U.S. 41 bridge pylon which caused it to capsize. He attempted to paddle to the shore while lying on the top of the boat but the current was too strong and he became tired.
When patrol units and aviation crews responded to the scene, they found the man lying on top of his capsized Jon boat in the river.
HCSO says that the man was too far out from the shore for deputies to utilize a throw rope, so the aviation unit on scene lowered a small inflatable raft.
The man was able to grab ahold of the raft and made his way to the shore where he was checked out by Hillsborough County Fire Rescue. The man was not injured and was released on scene.
HCSO Marine units removed the boat from the river.
