A Coast Guard helicopter crew from Air Station Clearwater rescued two boaters early Wednesday after their 30-foot sailing vessel became disabled about 40 miles west of Tarpon Springs.<\/p>\n
The boaters were in stable condition and safely transferred to Air Station Clearwater.<\/p>\n
The aircrew found the boaters on their de-masted vessel amid 4 to 6-foot seas and 20 knot winds at 4:49 a.m. They deployed a rescue swimmer and hoisted both individuals to safety.<\/p>\n
According to a press release, a Coast Guard Southeast District watchstander received the distress call at 3:24 a.m. and launched the helicopter crew.<\/p>\n
“The distress alert was vital in providing us critical information to rapidly deploy a helicopter crew to assist,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Jason Aybar, a search and rescue controller at the Southeast District command center.<\/p>\n
The vessel\u2019s owner is working with commercial salvage to recover the boat, though the cause of the de-masting remains unknown.<\/p>\n
Coast Guard Southeast District watchstanders maintain a continuous watch and coordinate with partner agencies to deploy assets quickly for search and rescue missions.<\/p>\n