Harrowing video has emerged of the chaotic moments Sunday when a U.S. Coast Guard crew rescued a pregnant woman and six other people from a capsized boat far off the Tampa Bay, Florida, coast.
“Don’t let go of that bag!” a Coast Guard member yells to one of the stranded people as others pensively sit atop the half-submerged vessel in choppy waters a few miles out from Tampa Bay.
The Coast Guard was alerted to the capsized boat by a tug in the late afternoon on Sunday and soon transferred the seven out of the water and to Port Manatee where they were treated, according to a statement by the service.
Two of the patients were transported to a local hospital for minor injuries, the service said.
The group had been on a recreational trip at the time, according to Coast Guard spokesman Petty Officer 3rd Class Erik Villa.
“Regardless of how a person ends up in the water, wearing a life jacket is the single most important precaution a person can take to increase their chances of survival when situations like this take place,” Capt. Matthew Thompson, commanding officer of Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg, said in a statement.
The Coast Guard has made a habit of releasing crazy footage from its at-sea heroics, including a clip last year that showed a member jumping onto a narco sub and banging on the hatch to get the illicit members inside to open up.
BZ, Coasties!
Geoff is the managing editor of Military Times, but he still loves writing stories. He covered Iraq and Afghanistan extensively and was a reporter at the Chicago Tribune. He welcomes any and all kinds of tips at geoffz@militarytimes.com.
