Two incidents where USCG finds missing boaters safe (UPDATE)
Photo of barge by U.S. Coast Guard.
St. Petersburg, Florida - The Coast Guard and partner agencies assisted with the rescue of two overdue cases near Tampa, Wednesday. All mariners were brought back to shore with no medical concerns.
Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg watchstanders received a notification Tuesday, December 7, 2021 from the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office of an overdue mariner, Kaleb Wardy, 42, who had not yet arrived at a construction site, as scheduled. The following day, Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew, along with an Army Reserve helicopter crew, located the overdue 30-foot construction barge with Wardy aboard.
A second overdue case was reported of a 22-foot pleasure craft with five passengers aboard. An Air Station HC-130 Hercules aircrew located their flares 43 miles southwest of the Steinhatchee River, and a good Samaritan was able to assist.
“We are always grateful when we are able to locate missing mariners quickly and find them unharmed,” said Capt. Matthew Thompson, commanding officer, Sector St. Petersburg. “We recommend all mariners to keep a working marine radio, and emergency signaling devices on board their vessels. They're one of the most reliable and useful pieces of equipment you can have on your boat.”
To find more information about recreational boating safety practices and equipment visit: www.uscgboating.org.
# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #
ORIGINAL STORY
Pasco County, Florida - On Dec. 8, the U. S. Coast Guard Southeast, Sector St. Petersburg announced that Kaleb Wardy was located safe, after being reported missing, Dec. 7, on a 30-feet barge, last seen in Hudson, Florida. A coast guard update on Dec. 8 stated that Station Sand Key and Air Station Clearwater were continuing the search, with the assistance of the Pasco County Sheriff's Office Marine Unit, searching between Crystal River and Anclote Key, about 40 miles offshore. At 2:40 pm, Dec. 8, the USCG posted that Mr. Wardy was found safe, with the assistance of a local Army aircrew and USCG Clearwater H-60 aircrew in the Chassahowitzka River. He was transported from the area by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC).
To read an interesting article about the rescue by Tampa Bay Fox News 13 that fills in the details, please click here: www.fox13news.com/news/captains-fishing-trip-turns-to-rescue-mission-for-stranded-missing-boaters.