US Coast Guard Rescues Ship Captain Clinging to Cooler in Gulf of Mexico after Hurricane Milton
In a dramatic rescue operation, the US Coast Guard saved a ship’s captain who was clinging to a cooler in the Gulf of Mexico, 30 miles off the coast of Florida, following the devastation caused by Hurricane Milton.
The captain, who was spotted holding onto a make-shift liferaft, was airlifted to safety by a helicopter crew from the Coast Guard Air Station Miami on Thursday afternoon. This daring rescue came after the captain had endured up to 90mph winds at sea overnight.
This wasn’t the first time the captain had faced peril during the week. Earlier on Monday, before the storm hit land, the captain of the fishing vessel “Captain Dave” had alerted the coastguard that he and a crew member were disabled 20 miles off John’s Pass. A rescue operation involving a boat and helicopter crew successfully saved both sailors, bringing them back to Air Station Clearwater in good condition as their vessel was left adrift.
Two days later, as Hurricane Milton approached, the captain returned to his boat around 3 am to make repairs, failing to check in. Communication was lost, with the captain reporting that the rudder had been disabled as he attempted to head back to port while battling rough seas and strong winds.
The situation worsened as the storm intensified with 6-8ft seas and 30mph winds, prompting the captain to don a life jacket and remain with the vessel’s emergency position-indicating radio beacon. Despite the challenging conditions, the captain persevered through 25ft seas and 90mph winds until he was finally rescued at approximately 1.30pm the following day.
Lieutenant Commander Dana Grady, from Sector St. Petersburg’s command center, commended the captain’s survival skills, stating, “This man survived in a nightmare scenario… He survived because of a life jacket, his emergency position indicating locator beacon, and a cooler.”
After being rescued for the second time, the captain was taken to Tampa General Hospital for medical treatment. Hurricane Milton, renowned for its extraordinary strength, has tragically claimed at least 16 lives. The storm’s impact serves as a stark reminder of the dangers faced by seafarers in the face of extreme weather events.