Lee County deputies and U.S. Coast Guard crews rescued two men near Redfish Pass early Saturday morning after the boat they were on started taking on water. Authorities received a distress call at around 3:30 a.m. from the sailboat Pandora. The boat was taking on water with two people on board. Shortly after the report came in, crews lost communication with the boat. Search and Rescue units responded to the scene as well as an aviation unit. While flying in very high winds, the aviation unit found the boat on a sand bar near the north side of Redfish Pass. Due to high surf, the boat was at a 45-degree angle. Marine crews heard a man screaming for help and found two men in the water -- both drifting in the surf of high seas. The men were picked up and brought to the South Seas Plantation Marina. Thats where they were met by medical personnel for evaluation and treatment. It was determined that water was entering the newly purchased sailboat -- which started a small electrical fire. That fire cause the radio to stop working. Both men then abandoned ship before being rescued by authorities. Weather condition estimates at the time of rescue were 4-8 ft. rough seas, with 30 MPH winds and temperatures in the 50s. The sailboat is scheduled to be salvaged by Sea Tow. nbc-2/story/27183730/deputies-respond-to-early-morning-water-rescue#.VFXjofnF-So
Posted on: Sun, 02 Nov 2014 07:57:45 +0000