BOCA GRANDE, Fla — A Clearwater Coast Guard aircrew rescued a child and seven adults after their boat capsized on Saturday.
The boaters reported their vessel was sinking 36 miles off Boca Grande, and an aircrew spotted their locator beacon. All eight people were holding onto a cooler wearing life jackets when crews arrived, according to a news release from the U.S. Coast Guard.
The aircrew hoisted each person from the water and they were transported to Venice Municipal Airport.
"The boaters in distress carried close to every piece of lifesaving equipment we encourage the public to carry onboard their vessel,” said Santiago Gomez with the Coast Guard Public Affairs Detachment Tampa Bay. “Life jackets, an EPIRB, a PLB, visual signaling devices and a marine grade radio with VHF-FM channel 16 improve our Coast Guard crews’ abilities to locate mariners in distress and increase the chances of a positive outcome to bring them safely home."
The release stated that no injuries were reported.