CLEARWATER, Florida – A birthday party they will never forget.
Four boaters that were stranded atop a capsized 24-foot sailing vessel for 20 hours when a birthday fishing trip was turned upside down were rescued by the US Coast Guard 26 miles off the coast of Clearwater, Florida on Tuesday.
The four relatives embarked on a celebratory fishing trip from the Seminole Street Boat Ramp in Clearwater at about 9:30 a.m. on Monday, and anticipated returning by 4 p.m. after a day on the water, the Clearwater Police Department said.
When family members of the fisherman grew concerned that the group hadn't returned, they contacted the Clearwater Police Department around 8:30 p.m. on Monday night, triggering a massive search effort for the wayward boaters.
After 20 hours at sea, a plane from the US Coast Guard Air Station Miami located the capsized vessel at approximately 7:15 a.m. Tuesday morning. Footage from the HC-144 Ocean Sentry plane captured the four distressed boaters on the bottom-side of their capsized vessel, frantically waving to the plane passing above.
After locating the wayward boaters, the plane dispatched deployed a life raft and a Mk-58 marine location marker to guide a US Coast Guard boat crew to the capsized vessel, where the four relatives spent the night.
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The boaters, who ranged in age from 18 to 90, sat atop the 25-foot catamaran called "Money Well Wasted" for roughly 20 hours before being spotted by the Coast Guard plane.
Dennis Woods, 70, Clarence Woods, 90, Cris Harding Sr., 42 and Chris Harding Jr., 18, were all taken to Morton Hospital for treatment and are in stable condition following the night spent at sea.
Following the successful recovery, Dennis Woods, who captained the vessel, recalled how the ship capsized and how the four remained calm in what could have been a catastrophic situation.
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"Water filled up on one side of the catamaran, and then it made the back of the boat go down low, and water started coming over the back," Woods said. "It was probably less than five minutes before it rolled, and I didn't have time to contact the Coast Guard. We (were) more worried about getting the life jacket on the 90-year-old and the 18-year-old."
A memorable 70th birthday to say the least, Woods said the night at sea was extremely tough as the waves grew stronger.
On land after the extended celebration at sea, Woods remarked, "It was a good birthday now that I'm back on land."
"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."
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The substantial search effort included the US Coast Guard, Clearwater Police Department, Clearwater Fire and Rescue, and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
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