Crime & Safety
Man Rescued By Coast Guard After Boat Turned Over In Pine Key
A Coast Guard petty officer said it's important for boaters to wear life jackets because it keeps them floating long enough for a rescue.
APOLLO BEACH, FL — A life jacket and the Coast Guard helped save a 60-year-old man after his boat turned over near Pine Key Island Saturday, a Coast Guard news release said.
As a response boat from Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg was involved in another search and rescue case in the area, the crew saw a 16-foot boat turned over and a man in the water.
“When they ask, ‘Why do I have to have life jackets?’ or any kind of safety equipment, I respond to them, ‘I just want to keep you floating long enough for our first responders to get to you in time,” Petty Officer Brett Cagle, Station St. Petersburg, said. “We have so many resources that can come out and help, it is critical for boaters to have that initial safety equipment to help keep them alive and above water.”
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The boat was taken to Apollo Beach Marina without medical concerns.
The Coast Guard said the weather was reported to have been 4-foot seas and 23 mph winds on Saturday.
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