Dramatic moment two fishermen are rescued in choppy seas after their boat capsized
Coastguard crews were dramatically filmed rescuing two fishermen after their boat capsized and they were left floating in choppy seas.
The men were seen clinging to their sinking 24-foot fishing vessel Saturday after running out of fuel off the coast of Puerto Rico, amid storm surges of 8 feet and winds of 25 to 30 knots.
A Coast Guard member then jumped into the water and swam over to the two men, grabbed their stomachs and hoisted them into a helicopter to safety.
Their boat capsized just five minutes later, about five miles off Desecheo Island, off the west coast of Puerto Rico. Coast Guard officials said.
“Our crews worked together to conduct the rescue safely and efficiently with the best possible outcome,” said Coast Guard Air Force Command Lt. David Tirado Tolosa.
“Marine emergencies can occur at any time,” he added.
“We encourage all sailors to wear their life jackets and carry a marine-grade radio, as these men did, in case they encounter an unexpected situation at sea.”
Two fishermen were seen holding on to their sinking ship before being rescued off the coast of Puerto Rico on Saturday
Dramatic footage shows a coastguard member jumping into choppy waters to rescue the men, grabbing their stomachs
Officials said they received a distress call about a disabled vessel in the ocean around 4 p.m. and deployed an aircrew from the Borinquen Coast Guard Auxiliary Air Station to locate the men.
The aircrew was then able to find the men on board the ship.
At that point, officials said they sent an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter to the men’s location.
It arrived just before the boat sank, and footage showed members of the crew deploying floating devices and hoisting the men onto the helicopter.
No injuries have been reported.
The incident comes just a week after a 74-year-old boater who disappeared off the coast of Florida was found drifting in his vessel across international waters.
David Diehl was aboard the Stargazer, a 30-foot catamaran, when he was last heard from on December 4, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) off Fort Myers in southwest Florida.
He was eventually spotted by a cruise ship who reported the boat was disabled and drifting in waters 30 miles off the coast of Cuba.
Coast Guard crews were also seen deploying floating devices and airlifting the men to safety in a helicopter
Video from the floating ship showed Diehl on board as a rescue crew approached him.
Diehl had been adrift for two weeks before he was found. The Coast Guard sent an alert on December 12, but by December 14 there was still no word on his whereabouts.
Diehl was found ‘in good health’ despite his terrifying two weeks at sea.