Coast Guard rescues man ‘clinged to refrigerator’ 30 miles from shore

The U.S. Coast Guard on Thursday rescued a man who was clinging to a reefer about 30 miles off the coast of Florida after Hurricane Milton.

In a news release Thursday, Coast Guard officials said: “A Coast Guard helicopter crew in Miami rescued a man Thursday about 30 miles off Longboat Key after Hurricane Milton.”

After discovering that the man was “clinging to a cooler” and wearing a life jacket around 1:30 p.m. Thursday, the Coast Guard said the flight crew transported the man to Tampa General Hospital for additional medical care.

The press release stated: “On Monday, the captain of the fishing vessel, Captain Dave, reported to the Coast Guard Sector watchstanders in St. Petersburg at approximately 12:40 p.m., he and a crew member became disabled approximately 20 miles from John’s Pass.”

In response to the call, an Air Station Clearwater rescue helicopter crew and Coast Guard Sand Key lifeboat were dispatched to the scene. Both the captain and crew member were rescued by the flight crew and returned to Air Station Clearwater in “good condition.” However, the ship was “left adrift” pending rescue arrangements.

READ MORE: Video: Civilian group rescues infant, searches for ‘SOS messages carved in mud’ after hurricane

However, at around 12:00 on Wednesday, the ship’s owner reported that at 3:00 a.m. the captain had returned to the ship for repairs and had not reported back. The Coast Guard stated that those on watch were able to contact the captain and that when he tried to return to port, he reported damage to the ship’s rudder.

Coast Guard officials noted that the weather at the time was “6-8 feet of sea and winds were approximately 30 miles per hour” and that the weather was “rapidly deteriorating” as Hurricane Milton approached Florida. As a result, the Coast Guard ordered the captain to put on a life jacket and remain on the ship in the emergency position, indicating this by beacon. On Wednesday, at approximately 6:45 p.m., Coast Guard watchdogs lost contact with the captain until he was rescued on Thursday.

Commenting on the extraordinary circumstances of the man’s rescue, Lt. Cmdr. Dana Grady, head of the St. Sector Command Center. Petersburg, said: “This man experienced a nightmare scenario for even the most experienced sailor. To understand the severity of hurricane conditions, we estimate sustained sustained winds of approximately 75-90 mph and sea depths of 20-25 feet, including overnight. He survived thanks to a life jacket, an emergency position indicating a locator beacon and a cooler.”

Video of Thursday’s Coast Guard rescue was shared on X (formerly Twitter) by USCG Southeast.