2 people, 1 dog rescued after boat capsizes in Tampa

3 rescued after boat capsizes

First responders, the U.S. Coast Guard, and a cruise cargo ship worked together to save three people who stayed afloat for nearly 20 minutes near Gadsden Point.

TAMPA, Fla. - First responders and Tampa Bay Harbor pilots rescued two people and a dog from the water after their boat capsized Saturday evening.

It happened as the sun was setting near Gadsden Point.

"The water is 64 degrees here. Hypothermia can set in very quickly. Even though we are in Florida, hypothermia can set in," said Michael Stutevoss, a Tampa Bay Harbor Pilot.

Michael Stutevoss and Dan Hammer were among those who took part in the rescue effort on Saturday.

The FWC said their boat was impacted by a wake from a cruise ship in the harbor. People on a cruise ship noticed the boaters in the water and notified the crew. Stutevoss and Dan Hemmer were piloting a third ship, a Royal Caribbean cruise, when they heard about the incident.

"Our ship was going very fast when we sighted these people, so by the time we were able to communicate to the crew of the cruise ship and get the ship stopped, we were a good way past the victims in the water," Hemmer said.

The cruise line deployed its 'man overboard' crew to assist.

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The two pilots contacted the St. Petersburg Sector of the U.S. Coast Guard, as well as Matthew Riley, who was piloting a smaller cargo ship behind the cruise.

"The sun had already set. It was twilight. They were basically like shadows in the water," Riley said. "Though I was on scene looking for them, I was afraid of running them over as well."

Riley was determined to locate them.

Matthew Riley was among those who took part in the rescue effort on Saturday.

"What we didn't know, the two people in the water were swimming, and they swam towards the buoy," he said.

A few minutes later, Riley spotted two of the boaters hanging onto the buoy about 200 yards away from debris from their boat. By that time, Hillsborough County Fire Rescue, the Coast Guard, and the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office arrived on boats.

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