The U.S. Coast Guard rescued five sailors on Sunday who were desperately clinging to a capsized boat 11 miles off the coast of Florida.
The drama at sea began around 10:15 a.m. when the Coast Guard’s Jacksonville branch received a 911 call from the local sheriff’s office reporting a capsized boat with five people in the water.
The National Guard sent a rescue boat from its base in Mayport, Florida, and a helicopter from the Maritime Administration’s base in Savannah, Georgia. authorities said in a press release..
Photos released by the Coast Guard showed boaters huddled on top of their capsized vessel before being picked up by rescue boats and taken to relieved relatives on a shoreline near Jacksonville.
“At sea, conditions can become unpredictable and dangerous in an instant, so it’s important to be prepared,” Coast Guard Jacksonville Sector Commander Nick Barrow said in a statement.
“Having everyone on board wearing life jackets provides buoyancy and increases visibility in the water, which can help save lives,” Barrow said. “We are grateful for the rapid emergency communications relay with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, which allowed for a quick response to the scene.”
The capsized ship is left adrift at sea and its owners must arrange for it to be salvaged.
