South Florida Coast Guard aircrew rescues boater in distress

MIAMI — The Coast Guard rescued a boater after his vessel sank approximately 20 miles east of Hollywood, Fla., Thursday night.

Coast Guard watchstanders in Miami received notification of an Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) alert from the vessel Hustler late Thursday night. An MH-65 Dolphin helicopter aircrew from Coast Guard Air Station Miami was launched to search for any possible distressed boaters.

Once they arrived in the search area the aircrew immediately noticed a partially submerged vessel and a man aboard a liferaft nearby. The man was hoisted by the aircrew and taken back to the air station where local EMS transported him to Palmetto General Hospital in Hialeah, Fla., for reported back pain.

This successful rescue illustrates the importance of maintaining a registered EPIRB while underway. When a satellite picks up an EPIRB’s signal it calculates an accurate position of the distress and the Coast Guard is able to dispatch rescue crews to that location possibly saving lives.