JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Coast Guard is reminding boaters to stay off the water during Tropical Storm Fay because of several search and rescue cases during the storm in Central and Northeast Florida.
The Coast Guard has responded to four persons in the water, three grounded vessels and one possible hoax distress call Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning. Boaters can first help themselves by staying off the water if possible or seeking safe harbor out of the path of the storm.
The Coast Guard responded to a report of a flipped catamaran with two people aboard near the Titusville, Fla., swing bridge. The pair was able to right the vessel and return to shore safely on their own. The Coast Guard has also received a report of a 50-foot sailing vessel grounded approximately one mile north of the highway 520 bridge in the Titusville area and a 30-foot sailing vessel grounded in the Intra-coastal waterway west of the Indian River barge canal near Titusville.
The Coast Guard is preparing its own boats and cutters for the storm by removing them from the water or moving them to safe harbor; commercial and recreational boaters should do the same. People should also stay off the beaches and areas prone to flooding.
Coast Guard crews are standing by to assist boaters in distress; however, response times and capabilities may be degraded because of the storm.
