The Florida Coastguard rescued eight people on June 1 after their boat capsized off the Florida coast.
The Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater aircrew were dispatched after Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg watchstanders received a distress call through VHF-FM channel 16 from boaters who reported a sinking vessel roughly 36 miles west of Boca Grande, according to a press release.
The boaters had activated an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon.
“The Air Station Clearwater MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter aircrew honed in on the signal of one of the boaters’ Personal Locator Beacons, spotted the devices’ strobe lights and found all 8 people wearing their life jackets while holding onto a cooler,” the June 1 press release states.
The passengers on the 28-foot boat were seven adults and one child, none of whom sustained any injuries.
The aircrew hoisted all passengers on board from the water. All were transported to emergency medical services at Venice Municipal Airport.
“The boaters in distress carried close to every piece of lifesaving equipment we encourage the public to carry onboard their vessel,” said Petty Officer 3rd Class Santiago Gomez, Coast Guard Public Affairs Detachment Tampa Bay.
Mr. Gomez pointed out that having adequate equipment on board when out at sea, will significantly enhance safety and ensure the coastguard can locate the position of distressed vessels.
“Life jackets, an EPIRB, a PLB, visual signaling devices and a marine grade radio with VHF-FM channel 16 improve our Coast Guard crews’ abilities to locate mariners in distress and increase the chances of a positive outcome to bring them safely home,” he added.
“Today marks the beginning of the 2024 Atlantic Hurricane Season, and these safe boating practices make a difference year-round.”
The Atlantic Hurricane Season runs from June 1 through November 30 each year, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The National Hurricane Center advises people to prepare and take appropriate action to ensure public safety.
The public has also been advised to follow the official NOAA website for updates showing hurricane season probability and the number of named storms forecast.
“Hurricanes have been the cause of many maritime disasters and unfortunately, there is no single rule of thumb that mariners can use to ensure safe separation from a hurricane at sea. Instead, constant monitoring of hurricane potential & continual risk analysis when used with some fundamental guidelines become the basic tools to minimize a hurricane’s impact to vessels at sea or in port,” according to safety guidelines published by NOAA.