A helicopter crew from the US Coast Guard successfully saved a man who was found clinging to a cooler in the Gulf of Mexico after his fishing boat became stranded overnight due to Hurricane Milton’s turbulent conditions.
Stranded at Sea
The individual was aboard a fishing vessel that lost power on Wednesday near Madeira Beach, Florida, just hours before Hurricane Milton made landfall, according to Coast Guard spokesperson Nicole Groll. The unnamed man managed to send out a distress signal to the Coast Guard station in St. Petersburg before communication ceased around 6:45 PM.
Daring Rescue Operation
On Thursday morning, search teams located him approximately 30 miles (48 kilometers) off Longboat Key, where he was seen clinging desperately to an open ice chest. A video released by the Coast Guard captured the moment when a diver descended from a helicopter and swam towards him for rescue.
“This individual endured an incredibly challenging situation that would test even seasoned sailors,” remarked Dana Grady, an official with the Coast Guard.
Rescue operations continued throughout Thursday as teams worked tirelessly to assist Florida residents affected by Hurricane Milton. The storm wreaked havoc on coastal areas, demolishing homes and inundating streets with debris while also generating several deadly tornadoes; tragically, at least six fatalities have been reported.
Dramatic Rescues Amid Chaos
In one notable rescue effort in Hillsborough County, officers discovered a 14-year-old boy floating on debris from a fence and safely brought him aboard their boat.
A Silver Lining Amidst Destruction
Despite widespread devastation caused by Milton, many locals expressed gratitude that conditions were not worse than anticipated. Fortunately for Tampa residents, they avoided a direct strike from the hurricane and were spared from the feared catastrophic storm surge.
Status of Ongoing Rescue Efforts
As of Thursday afternoon, Governor Ron DeSantis reported that over 340 individuals and 49 pets had been rescued during ongoing operations across affected regions.
The Impact of Recent Storms
This latest hurricane struck just two weeks after Hurricane Helene caused significant damage in Florida. In addition to flooding barrier islands and damaging infrastructure—including tearing roofs off buildings and toppling construction cranes—Hurricane Milton left more than three million people without power across various areas.
The Fate of the Rescued Man
The man who was rescued while clinging onto his cooler has since been transported to Tampa General Hospital for medical evaluation. The Coast Guard estimated he faced wind speeds between 75-90 mph (121-145 km/h) along with waves reaching heights up to 25 feet (7.6 meters) during his harrowing night adrift at sea. As for his fishing vessel’s condition or whereabouts following this ordeal remains uncertain.