8 People Rescued From Capsized Boat Near Boca Grande: U.S. Coast Guard

BOCA GRANDE, FL — Eight people, including one child, were rescued after their 28-foot boat capsized 36 miles west of Boca Grande on Saturday, according to a U.S. Coast Guard news release.

No injuries were reported.

Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg watchstanders received the distress call from the boaters, who reported that their vessel was sinking and activated an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon.

A Air Station Clearwater MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter aircrew honed in on the signal of one of the boaters’ personal locator beacons, spotted the devices' strobe lights and found all eight people wearing their life jackets while holding onto a cooler, the Coast Guard said.

The aircrew pulled each person from the water and brought them to emergency medical services at Venice Municipal Airport.

"The boaters in distress carried close to every piece of lifesaving equipment we encourage the public to carry onboard their vessel,” Petty Officer 3rd Class Santiago Gomez, Coast Guard Public Affairs Detachment Tampa Bay, said. “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.”