Coast Guard Rescues Man Clinging to Ice Box in Gulf of Mexico Post-Hurricane Milton
A US Coast Guard helicopter crew rescued a man who was left clinging to an ice box in the Gulf of Mexico after his boat was stranded overnight in waters roiled by Hurricane Milton.
The man was aboard a fishing vessel that became disabled on Wednesday off Madeira Beach, Florida, hours before the hurricane made landfall, said Coast Guard press officer Nicole Groll. The man, who was not identified, was able to radio the Coast Guard station in nearby St. Petersburg before contact was lost around 6:45 PM.
But on Thursday, searchers located the man approximately 30 miles (48 km) off Longboat Key, Florida, clinging to an open cooler chest, as shown in a video clip provided by the Coast Guard. In the video, a Coast Guard diver was lowered from a helicopter and swam to the man to assist him.
“This man survived in a nightmare scenario for even the most experienced mariner,” Coast Guard official Dana Grady remarked.
Rescue teams continued to pull Florida residents from the wreckage of Hurricane Milton throughout Thursday, as the storm smashed through coastal communities, tearing homes apart, flooding streets with mud, and spawning deadly tornadoes. At least six fatalities have been reported.
Among the most dramatic rescues, Hillsborough County officers found a 14-year-old boy floating on a piece of fence and successfully pulled him onto a boat.
Despite the destruction, many residents expressed relief that Milton was not worse. The hurricane spared Tampa a direct hit, and the feared lethal storm surge never materialized.
At least 340 individuals and 49 pets have been rescued in ongoing efforts, Florida’s governor, Ron DeSantis, reported on Thursday afternoon.
Arriving just two weeks after the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene, Hurricane Milton also knocked out power to more than 3 million people, flooded barrier islands, tore the roof off a baseball stadium, and toppled a construction crane.
The man rescued off the coast, clinging to the ice box, was taken to Tampa General Hospital for medical treatment, according to the Coast Guard. The agency estimated he had survived winds of 75-90 mph (121-145 km/h) and waves up to 25 feet (7.6 meters) high during his night on the water. The fate of his boat remains unknown.