Watch: Man Stranded On Buoy Rescued By Sheriff's Divers

APOLLO BEACH, FL -- The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Marine Unit was called to rescue a boater who was stranded on a buoy in the Big Bend Channel off Apollo Beach Sunday, June 3.

The sheriff's office received a 911 call at about 7:50 p.m. from a man who said his friend, who cannot swim, had jumped out of his boat and was stranded on a buoy about 3.5 miles off Beer Can Island.

The stranded man had no life jacket and his friend was unable to aid him because the battery on his boat was dead and he was anchored in place.

The marine unit, dive team members, the aviation unit and Hillsborough County Fire Rescue Boat 29 responded. After searching the water for a few minutes, the aviation unit located the stranded man and his friend's inoperable boat.

Due to the choppy conditions, the marine unit was unable to get close to the buoy so sheriff's divers entered the water and got the man off the buoy and into sheriff's boat. The boater and his stranded friend were both taken to the Williams Park boat ramp in Riverview.

Video via Hillsborough Sheriff