Thrilling Rescue: Man Found Clinging to Ice Box 30 Miles Off Florida Coast After Hurricane Milton!
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.
