Florida man rescued after 18 hours in rough waters after Hurricane Milton

A Florida fishing boat captain faced a harrowing ordeal of survival, spending more than 18 hours chained to a cooler in the Gulf of Mexico after the wrath of Hurricane Milton tore through the region. The U.S. Coast Guard rescued the man on Thursday, October 10, at approximately 1:30 p.m. local time, approximately 30 miles off Longboat Key.

According to a Coast Guard release, the captain was wearing a life jacket – a key piece of equipment that likely saved his life. “This man experienced a nightmare scenario for even the most experienced sailor,” said Lt. Cdr. Dana Grady, head of the St. Sector command center. St. Petersburg. The captain’s identity has not yet been revealed.

The captain contacted the Coast Guard on Monday, Oct. 7, after his fishing boat became disabled approximately 20 miles off John’s Pass, prompting a rescue operation that brought him and a crew member safely back to Air Station Clearwater. Just two days later, as Hurricane Milton approached landfall, the captain returned to the boat around 3 a.m. to make repairs but later failed to show up for check-in.

On October 9, during severe weather conditions caused by the hurricane, which included seas of 6 to 8 feet deep and winds of approximately 30 miles per hour, the Coast Guard was able to establish radio contact with the captain. He reported that the boat’s rudder had failed and left him stranded. Coast Guard officers advised him to wear a life jacket and stay close to the ship’s emergency beacon. Unfortunately, communication was lost shortly thereafter.

After more than 18 hours of drifting, the Coast Guard launched a helicopter on a rescue mission. Dramatic footage shows a crew member being lowered into rough water to reach the captain, who was holding on to a small refrigerator. “To understand the severity of hurricane conditions, we estimate that it experienced winds of approximately 75-90 mph and sea levels of 20-25 feet for an extended period of time, including overnight,” Grady noted. His survival was attributed to the life jacket, emergency beacon and cooler he was holding.

Following the rescue, the captain was transferred to Tampa General Hospital. Hurricane Milton made landfall near Siesta Key, Florida, on October 9 around 8:30 p.m. local time, packing maximum winds of 120 mph (200 km/h) and so far causing at least 16 deaths.