MIAMI (CBSMiami) — A couple who was knocked out of their boat and left stranded in the water for about 14 hours made it to safety Saturday thanks to two off-duty detectives, a firefighter and another friend who were out fishing.
Two off-duty Broward Sheriff's Office (BSO) detectives and a BSO Firefighter were fishing about seven miles offshore in the Atlantic Ocean when they spotted what looked like a fish jumping or birds feeding on the surface of the water, according to BSO.
Once they got closer, they saw it was a woman and a man waving a t-shirt at the group. Coast Guard officials identified them as Sean McGovern, 50, from Key Largo, and Mellisa Morris, 52, who was visiting from Texas.
The three men and another friend on board pulled the couple onto the boat.
The couple told them they had fallen off their boat in Key Largo about 14 hours before but the boat was in gear and pulled away from them, leaving them stranded in the water.
They appeared to be suffering from mild hypothermia and some jellyfish stings.
The couple had been trying to swim to safety when the men found them in the 800 to 900 feet deep water.
The men contacted the Coast Guard which took the couple back to the Coast Guard Station in Fort Lauderdale where they were picked up by their friends.
Coast Guard officials have issued and alert for the missing boat.
