3 Boaters, Dog Rescued As Boat Sank Off Clearwater: U.S. Coast Guard

CLEARWATER, FL — Three boaters and a dog were rescued 35 miles west of Clearwater Monday morning after their 47-foot vessel began taking on water, according to a U.S. Coast Guard news release.

Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg watchstanders received a distress call from the three people around 5:30 a.m.

A Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater MH-60T Jayhawk helicopter aircrew and Coast Guard Station Sand Key 45-foot response boat crew spotted all three people aboard their vessel at around 6:45 a.m.

An aircrew rescue swimmer swam two people from the 47-foot boat to the response boat in 5- to 6-foot seas and 10 to 15 knot winds. The boat crew retrieved both boaters from the water and transferred two boat crewmen with a pump to dewater the vessel once sea conditions improved, the Coast Guard said.

Once they were onboard the boat crew saw that the vessel was taking on water through a broken window. They plugged the window using a mattress and boat hooks to stop the flooding.

The Coast Guard crew escorted the boat and its passengers to Clearwater Harbor Marina around 6:30 p.m.. There were no injuries.

“Coast Guard crews constantly train for shipboard emergencies to mitigate flooding, and part of that training includes improvising in emergency situations,” Petty Officer 1st Class Jesse, Guitierrez, Coast Guard Station Sand Key operations officer, said. “When we saw water filling the lower cabin area through a hole that big, improvise is exactly what we did. I couldn’t be prouder of all our crews today for upholding the highest Coast Guard standard and ensuring the best possible outcome.”