Coast Guard Rescues Man Stranded 30 Mi Off FL Coast in Gulf Water Clinging To Ice Chest After Hurric Milton

' 'A nightmare scenario’: man rescued 48km off Florida coast clinging to ice box after Hurricane Milton,' The Guardian, Oct. 10, 2024. Ed.
- A US Coast Guard helicopter rescued the man in the Gulf of Mexico, taking him to Tampa general hospital
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US Coast Guard helicopter crew rescued a man who was left clinging to an ice box in the Gulf of Mexico after his boat was stranded overnight in waters roiled by Hurricane Milton.

The man was aboard a fishing vessel that became disabled on Wednesday off Madeira Beach, Florida, hours before the hurricane made landfall, said coast guard press officer Nicole Groll. The man, who was not identified, was able to radio the coast guard station in nearby St Petersburg before contact was lost about 6.45pm.

But on Thursday searchers located the man about 30 miles (48km) off Longboat Key, Florida, clinging to an open cooler chest, a video clip provided by the coast guard shows. In the video, a coast guard diver was lowered from a helicopter & swam to the man to pick him up.

.. The man rescued off the coast clinging to the ice box was taken to Tampa general hospital for medical treatment, the coast guard said. The agency estimated he had survived winds of 75-90mph (121-145km/h) and waves up to 25 feet (7.6 meters) high during his night on the water. The fate of his boat was unknown...

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/oct/11/a-nightmare-scenario-man-rescued-48km-off-florida-coast-clinging-to-ice-box-after-hurricane-milton