Deputies rescue boater in distress from approaching tornado conditions in Citrus County: CCSO
Photo courtesy: Citrus County Sheriff's Office
CITRUS COUNTY, Fla. - A boater in distress was rescued in Citrus County Wednesday evening as tornado conditions swiftly approached the area, according to the sheriff's office.
The Citrus County Sheriff's Office received a call from the Coast Guard at around 5 p.m. on Wednesday about a boater in distress in a 16-foot aluminum vessel. The boater was about 15 miles off of Crystal River.
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CCSO's Marine Unit and Florida Fish and Wildlife responded to the scene in an FWC boat. The Coast Guard spotted the vessel about 18 miles offshore. CCSO and FWC brought the subject onto their boat and brought them to shore.
Photo courtesy: Citrus County Sheriff''s Office
"As storms were rolling in before Crystal River was hit by a tornado around 2AM the next morning, it's highly likely the boater would have lost their life overnight," CCSO wrote in a Facebook post.