Clearwater Police and the U.S. Coast Guard located four boaters who did not return from a fishing trip on Monday.
According to Clearwater Police, the group left the Seminole Street Boat Ramp at about 9:30 a.m. in a 25-foot green-and-white Glacier Bay catamaran named Money Well Wasted. Family members said the group typically returns at about 4 p.m. When they did not come back, relatives contacted police just before 8:30 p.m.
Officers located the truck and trailer at the boat ramp with no sign of the vessel or its occupants. The Coast Guard began searching Monday night and resumed the operation at daybreak. Family members reported that the group usually travels about 25 miles offshore.
According to Clearwater Police Chief Gandy, there were no communication devices on board except for a cellular phone.
The missing boaters are Dennis Woods, 70; Clarence Woods, 90; Cris Harding Sr., 42; and Cris Harding Jr., 18.
Reports of all four occupants rescued and being transported back to shore. They were transported to USCG Station Sand Key where emergency personnel evaluated them. All four were transported to a local hospital for further evaluation. A large number of family members also welcomed them.
The boaters estimated the vessel began taking on water and overturned between noon and 1 p.m. Monday about 26 miles offshore.
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The four boaters were in stable condition and safely transported to awaiting emergency medical service personnel at Station Sand Key.
An Air Station Miami HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircrew located the boaters aboard their capsized vessel in 2 to 3-foot seas and 5-10 knot winds at 7:15 a.m., Tuesday. The aircrew deployed a life raft and a Mk-58 marine location marker to vector the boat crew to the vessel’s location.
A family member reported the overdue vessel to Coast Guard Sector St. Petersburg watchstanders at 9:08 p.m., Monday.
“Through the efforts of multiple Coast Guard crews and partner agencies we were able to safely recover the missing boaters and reunite them with their loved ones,” said Ensign Gaige Garrett, Operational Unit Controller at Sector St Petersburg Command Center. “We want to remind anyone going out on the water to have all necessary safety equipment to include Coast Guard approved life jackets, VHF radio, signaling devices and an emergency position locator beacon or personal locator beacon.”
