Coast Guard locates, rescues 3 missing men off Steinhatchee

U.S. Coast Guard
Public Affairs Detachment Tampa Bay

Clearwater, Florida — Coast Guard crews rescued three missing men on Saturday, June 1, 2024, after their 21-foot vessel became disabled due to an electrical issue 20 miles west of Steinhatchee, Florida. The missing men were Adam Simpson, Scott Snow, and Dillon McCrea, who were rescued with no reported injuries.

Sea Tow Steinhatchee crews contacted Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg watchstanders at approximately 8:00 a.m. on Saturday, reporting the three men were overdue after launching from the Steinhatchee River Inn and Marina in Steinhatchee the previous day.

An Air Station Clearwater MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter aircrew located the disabled vessel, with all three men aboard, around 1:00 p.m. The aircrew vectored-in a Coast Guard Station Yankeetown boat crew which transported all three men to the Steinhatchee River Inn and Marina, while a Good Samaritan towed the disabled vessel to the same loction.

“The key to any search and rescue case is accurate and reliable information, paired with safety equipment," said Lieutenant Commander Dana Grady, a search and rescue mission coordinator at Sector St. Petersburg. "The Coast Guard strongly encourages you to provide a float plan with someone you trust before taking your boat out on the water. A float plan can be as easy as sending your friend a text with information such as voyage locations and timelines, a picture of your vessel, the number of people aboard, and contact information. All these are vital pieces of information that give our rescue crews a head start, when time is of the essence during distress incidents and can save lives.”

The crews' search area covered approximately 350 square nautical miles in 2 to 3-foot seas and 10-15 knot winds.