MIAMI — The Coast Guard rescued two people Wednesday after their boat capsized approximately 35 miles northwest of Dry Tortugas.
At approximately 5:24 a.m. Wednesday watch standers from Coast Guard 7th District received a report of an activated Electronic Positioning Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) from a 37-foot sailing vessel.
Watch standers from Coast Guard 7th District and Coast Guard Sector Key West diverted the Coast Guard Cutter Kathleen Moore and launched a Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew to assist in the search and rescue operation.
At approximately 8 a.m. Wednesday the MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew located the sailing vessel capsized with two people sitting on the hull. The MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew safely hoisted both people and transferred them to awaiting Monroe County Fire Rescue crews at Key West International Airport. No medical concerns were reported.
“The sailing vessel’s EPIRB helped us direct our rescue crews to their location saving critical time,” said Chief Petty Officer Nathan Webb, Coast Guard 7th District command center controller. “This is a great example of how an EPIRB can alert the Coast Guard when someone is in distress. The minutes or hours it saves could be the difference between life and death.”
