Coast Guard helicopter rescues man clinging to cooler off Florida coast after Milton

LONGBOAT KEY, Fla. (Gray News) – Video released Thursday shows a United States Coast Guard helicopter rescuing a man left clinging to a cooler 30 miles off the coast of Florida following Hurricane Milton.

The Coast Guard said in a news release that crews around 5:30 a.m. began searching for the missing captain of fishing vessel Capt. Dave.

The captain had reported on Monday that the ship was disabled and he and a crew member were stranded about 20 miles from John’s Pass.

A helicopter was sent to the scene and both the captain and crew member were taken to shore. The boat was left adrift and arrangements were to be made to salvage it.

Around noon Wednesday, the owner reported that the captain had gone back out to the ship around 3 a.m. to make repairs but wasn’t seen again at that time.

Crews were able to make radio contact with the captain, who said the rudder was disabled.

The Coast Guard says the weather was deteriorating quickly as Milton approached. The captain was told to wear a life jacket and to stay with the ship’s emergency position.

Crews lost contact with the captain around 6:45 p.m. Wednesday, just as Milton was approaching.

“This man survived in a nightmare scenario for even the most experienced mariner,” said Lt. Cmdr. Dana Grady, Sector St. Petersburg’s command center chief. “To understand the severity of the hurricane conditions, we estimate he experienced approximately 75-90 mph winds, 20-25 foot seas, for an extended time including overnight. He survived because of a life jacket, his emergency position indicating locator beacon, and a cooler.”

In the video, a Coast Guard member can be seen being lowered from a helicopter and swimming to the man to pick him up.

The man was taken to Tampa General Hospital for care.

At least six deaths have been reported from severe weather related to Milton.

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