Robert Michaud
The United States Coast Guard rescued a man 30 miles offshore of Longboat Key near where Hurricane Milton made landfall on Siesta Key, the next barrier island to the south, and the man was found floating on top of a cooler. I was born and raised in Sarasota (this area) and my home was battered (but survived) Hurricane Milton and I simply cannot fathom what this man went through.
This story was wild from start to finish. It came across my desk when I saw the footage shared by the US Coast Guard of their team rescuing the man from the water as he was found floating on top of a cooler. You can see him here clinging on for his life as rescue was imminent:
#Breaking An @USCG Air Station Miami 65 helicopter crew rescued a man clinging to a cooler approximately 30 mi. off Longboat Key.
The man was taken to Tampa General Hospital for medical care.
Sector St. Pete lost communications w/ the man at approx. 6:45 p.m., Wed. #SAR pic.twitter.com/64wSHuRAeH
— USCGSoutheast (@USCGSoutheast) October 10, 2024
Everything leading up to that moment is truly wild. The fact that he survived Hurricane Milton while floating on top of a cooler is beyond my comprehension. My home in Sarasota, Florida was in the middle of the eye of Hurricane Milton and ’30 miles offshore of Longboat Key’ is basically where we go fishing anytime we head offshore. For those not sure of the geography, parts of Longboat Key are just 2 or 3 miles from Siesta Key where the storm made landfall.
Now that you understand that part, here’s an excerpt from the USCG’s press release on this rescue:
“This man survived in a nightmare scenario for even the most experienced mariner,” said Lt. Cmdr. Dana Grady, Sector St. Petersburg’s command center chief. “To understand the severity of the hurricane conditions, we estimate he experienced approximately 75-90 mph winds, 20-25 foot seas, for an extended period of time to include overnight. He survived because of a life jacket, his emergency position indicating locator beacon, and a cooler.”
He was out there for the entire storm!
It began earlier in the week to the north at John’s Pass when their boat died 20 miles offshore. The captain went back out to the vessel to make repairs later in the week as Hurricane Milton was approaching. By 3 AM, the captain hadn’t checked in with anyone on shore.
At some point afterward, ‘watchstanders were able to make radio contact with the captain who reported the rudder was fouled with a line and became disabled during his transit back to port.” But now Hurricane Milton was dangerously close and the USCG advised him “to don a life jacket and stay with the vessel’s emergency position indicating radio beacon.”
From there, he had to ride out Hurricane Milton clinging to a floating cooler and hope for the best. He had the rescue beacon with him and a life jacket to remain afloat but waves hit 25 feet and he survived wind speeds upwards of 90 MPH.
Once Hurricane Milton had cleared the area, the US Coast Guard were able to swoop in and rescue him the next morning. Just an unreal survival story with a happy ending.