DECEMBER 15, 2025 — A Coast Guard Station St. Petersburg boat crew rescued five boaters after their 32-foot vessel sank 28 miles west of Egmont Key, Friday.
The five boaters were in stable condition and safely transported to awaiting emergency medical service personnel at Tierra Verde Marina.
An Air Station Clearwater MH-60 Jayhawk aircrew located the boaters in the vicinity of their sunken vessel in 2 to 3-foot seas and 6 knot winds at 4:19 a.m.
The aircrew deployed a rescue swimmer and vectored the boat crew to the vessel’s location.
A Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg watchstander received multiple mayday callouts over VHF Channel 16 from a boater on a 32-foot vessel taking on water stating they have five boaters aboard and are donning lifejackets and have to abandon ship at 3:34 a.m.
“The boaters’ quick decision in donning life jackets and issuing a mayday call gave our crews the critical information and best chances of rescuing them,” said Ensign Gaige Garrett, an operations unit controller at Sector St. Petersburg command center. “With water temperatures dropping across most of Florida, we urge boaters to dress appropriately for the weather and carry the required safety equipment for their vessel when going out to sea.”
Our Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg watchstanders maintain a continuous watch while monitoring VHF Channel 16 and direct coordination with partner agencies to deploy Coast Guard assets at a moments notice for emergent search and rescue cases.
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