TAMPA, Fla. – The Coast Guard assisted in the rescue of one man who was tossed from his 12-foot sail boat, along with his father, after a gust of wind blew the men from their vessel about two miles west of Apollo Beach, in Apollo Beach, Fla., at about 5 p.m. yesterday.
The Coast Guard received a call at about 4:30 p.m. from a Good Samaritan stating that two men were adrift in the water. Richard Seeds, 65, of Lithia, Fla., was found face down in the water near his son Dan Seeds, 40, of Tampa, Fla. The Good Samaritan threw Dan Seeds a lifejacket but was unable to bring him aboard his vessel. Another Good Samaritan recovered both men from the water.
Coast Guard Station St. Petersburg, in St. Petersburg, Fla., immediately launched a 25-foot rescue boat and arrived on scene at about 4:45 p.m. The rescue crew immediately commenced cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) with negative results.
Both men were taken to the Apollo Marina where Hillsborough EMS attempted to revive Richard Seeds with negative results and pronounced him dead on scene. Dan Seeds’ condition remains stable.
Federal laws mandate that boaters 13-years of age and under must wear lifejackets while underway, however, the Coast Guard strongly encourages that ALL boaters wear a lifejacket.
