Coast Guard Station Fort Myers, Florida, crew members, aboard 45-foot Response Boat-Medium, rescue two boaters and their dog after their 19-foot boat started flooding Tuesday, Oct. 9, 2018 near Fort Myers Beach, Florida. (U.S. Coast Guard photo)
FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. – The Coast Guard rescued two boaters and their dog after their boat took on water Tuesday near Fort Myers Beach.
At 2:10 p.m. Coast Guard Station Fort Myers watch standers received a Marine Emergency Response Team alert reporting a 19-foot fishing boat was taking on water, and the boaters were in need of emergency assistance.
A Station Fort Myers Beach 45-foot Response Boat-Medium boat crew was launched, they commenced dewatering operations and towed the boat to Station Fort Myers Beach. Once dewatering was complete, the boat and all passengers were transported to Punta Rassa Boat Ramp with no reported injuries.
“We are starting to see the impacts of Hurricane Michael even on the southern coast of Florida,” said Cmdr. William Walsh, Sector St. Petersburg deputy commander. “Please check the weather before heading out on the water. High winds, waves and surge are deadly and can be felt well before the storm makes landfall.”
The Coast Guard urges boaters along Florida’s Gulf Coast to monitor the Hurricane Michael closely and prepare for impacts of the Category 3 storm.
