A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter crew rescues a man who was clinging to an icebox after his boat ran aground overnight in the Gulf of Mexico due to Hurricane Milton’s rough waves.
The man was on a fishing boat that became disabled off the coast of Madeira Beach, Florida, on Wednesday, hours before the hurricane made landfall, Coast Guard spokeswoman Nicole Grohl said. The man, who has not been identified, was able to radio the Coast Guard station in nearby St. Petersburg before contact was lost around 6:45 p.m.
But on Thursday, searchers found the man clinging to an open cooler about 30 miles (48 kilometers) off the coast of Longboat Key, Florida, a video clip provided by the Coast Guard shows. Video showed a Coast Guard diver being removed from the helicopter and swimming to the man.
“This man survived a scenario that would be a nightmare for even the most experienced sailor,” said Coast Guard Officer Dana Grady.
Rescue teams continued to pry Florida residents from the wreckage of Hurricane Milton throughout Thursday after the storm tore through coastal communities, tearing up homes, smothering roads with mud and setting off a barrage of deadly tornadoes. I kept pulling it out. At least six people died.
In one of the most dramatic rescues, Hillsborough County police officers found a 14-year-old boy floating over a fence and pulled him onto a boat.
Despite the destruction, many expressed relief that Milton’s situation was not getting worse. The hurricane missed Tampa, and the deadly storm surge that scientists had feared never materialized.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced Thursday afternoon that ongoing efforts have resulted in the rescue of at least 340 people and 49 pets.
The system arrives just two weeks after the devastating Hurricane Helen, which left more than 3 million people without power, flooded barrier islands, ripped off the roof of a baseball stadium, and knocked down a construction crane.
The man, who was rescued offshore clinging to an icebox, was taken to Tampa General Hospital for treatment, the Coast Guard said. The agency estimated he endured winds of 75 to 90 mph (121 to 145 kph) and waves 25 feet (7.6 meters) high during his night on the water. The fate of his boat was unknown.
