Missing Boaters Rescued Quickly Thanks To Flare

CLEARWATER, FL — A simple flare is getting the credit for helping the U.S. Coast Guard save four fisherman reported missing early Monday morning.

The U.S. Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg received notification about the four missing men from Grand Rapids, Mich., about 5:30 a.m. It seems Lafayette Beers, Joel Eedermans, Brian Kekstan and Richard Melema went out on a fishing trip into the Gulf of Mexico on Sunday and had not returned. A friend of the four said they were due back at dark and became worried as their absence continued.

Watchstanders from St. Petersburg called on a C-130 Hercules air crew from Clearwater to launch a search for the missing men. The air crew found the men and their 26-foot boat about 23 miles southwest of Big Marco Pass just before 8 a.m.

The men, the coast guard noted in a media release, used a flare to alert rescuers of their location. The boat was out of cellular and marine radio communication range, the guard noted.

The Clearwater crew stayed with the men until a 45-foot response boat from Fort Myers Beach arrived to tow the disabled vessel. A commercial salvage boat took over the towing near Capri Pass.

Petty Officer 2nd Class Matthew Bonneau said the fast rescue stands as a reminder of the importance of having property safety equipment onboard at all times.

“Setting off the flare alerted our crews to their location, and turned a potentially four hour search covering 3,000 miles into a three minute search,” he said.

Photo and video courtesy of the U.S. Coast Guard

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