Flares set off from raft aid Florida rescue
13/01/2021
Flares automatically set off by the deployment of an emergency raft, helped search and rescue personnel find fishermen onboard a disabled boat in Florida.
South Gulf Fire & Rescue was called upon one morning in December to rescue five people in distress on board a disabled fishing boat that was taking on water off Stump Hole Beach during a storm.
However, the rescuers on jet skis could not initially spot the disabled boat, the Miss Adley, until the flares were activated.
As a result, they made their way to the disabled boat in 10-foot rolling waves and took the five occupants on rescue sleds back to the shore for medical checks.
A spokesperson says, “This was a total team effort- and exactly what we practised for over the summer.”
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Coast Guard also sent rescue boats and a helicopter that arrived shortly after the rescue.
