CEDAR KEY, Fla. — Rescue crews saved a missing mother after she was separated from her husband and child while paddle boarding off Cedar Key.
The Levy County Sheriff's Office contacted the Coast Guard Sector in St. Petersburg when a paddleboarder lost sight of his wife during a coastal thunderstorm around 10:41 a.m. Tuesday. The husband beached himself and his child on Dog Island while the Coast Guard boat crew located the missing mother around 11 a.m., according to a news release.
A rescue team transported the three to Cedar Key and nobody was injured.
“We were scanning the water with binoculars when we spotted the bright orange life jacket she was wearing,” said Officer Elizabeth Knight, Aids to Navigation Team St. Petersburg. “She appeared to be exhausted from paddling against the weather and once she saw us she waved her paddle in the air and started calling for help.”
Coast Guard officials said the weather is constantly changing and it's important to monitor those changes to stay safe on the water.