The captain of a fishing boat survives the overnight fury of Hurricane Milton

LONGBOAT KEY, Florida (CBS12) – A man was rescued after he was found clinging to a radiator 30 miles off Florida’s west coast following Hurricane Milton.

“This man experienced a nightmare scenario for even the most experienced sailor,” said Lt. Cmdr. Dana Grady, chief of the St. Sector command center. St. Petersburg. “To understand the severity of the hurricane’s conditions, we estimate that it lasted approximately 75-90 years. winds of a mile per hour and sea depths of 20 to 25 feet for extended periods of time, including overnight.”

The US Coast Guard (USCG) said the rescued man was the captain of a fishing boat and was first rescued along with a crew member on Monday. The Coast Guard reported that their boat was disabled about 20 miles off St. John’s Pass at approximately 12:40 p.m., before Milton made landfall.

The Coast Guard said the crew arrived and transported both vessels back to the air station in good condition, while the fishing boat was left to drift and preparations were made for a rescue operation.

On Wednesday, the owner of the fishing boat reported to the Coast Guard that the captain returned to the boat to repair it around 3 a.m. However, around noon, the owner called the Coast Guard when he did not report. The Coast Guard managed to contact the captain by radio, who reported that the rudder had been stopped and that he was stranded again on the way back to port.

The Coast Guard stated that the weather at the time was six to eight feet and winds were approximately 30 miles per hour.

The captain was instructed to put on a lifejacket and remain in the ship’s emergency position indicating the beacon. However, the crew reported that they lost contact on Wednesday around 6:45 p.m.

Milton made landfall on Wednesday around 8:30 p.m., making the search extremely difficult.

See also: Daughter confirms mother died during tornado in St. Lucie

On Thursday, around 5:30 a.m., sea and air crews set out to search for the missing captain. At about 1:30 p.m., crews said they found a man wearing a life jacket clinging to a cooler 30 miles off Longboat Key.

The film shows the shocking moment when the crew rescues the captain. The man was transported to Tampa General Hospital for further care.

“He survived thanks to his life jacket, the emergency position indicating the locator beacon and the refrigerator,” said Lt. Cmdr. Dana Grady.

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